Being Picky

“Being Picky”
By Meyer Greenberger
June 6, 2016

Being picky is not a good trait, but people are picky despite this.By “being picky” I mean that people are often not satisfied with their lot. They may want what other people have and complain about what they have, but this does not mean that they need what the other person has. HaShem gives each person what is right and necessary for them.

If you are picky you may not want to accept the help that people want to give you. If you are dissatisfied the harder it will be for you to be with people or do the things you want to do. Being picky will make you more upset because if you push people away no one will want to help you and you will have a very difficult life. People will not want to help you out because they will know that you are a picky person.

. If you are waiting for a particular person and they are not available and someone else is available and you tell that person you don’t want them, you might have to wait a very long time until the person you want is available. You have to think about if you want to get something done whether it is not better to accept help from the second person. It may not be the right thing to be picky in this situation.

If someone redt you a shidduch and you are thinking of marriage you do not know if it will work out. You and the other person should not be picky because everything is up to HaShem. HaShem is working with bnei yisroel to make us have a good and happy life, even though it does not always work out the way we want. You should give a shidduch suggestion a chance instead of rejecting it offhand because you do not know whether it will work out or not. Sometimes you might have a feeling that the shidduch will not work, but you have to give it a try anyway. It is important to take the opportunity to find out if it is right for you.

We have to trust in HaShem that whatever he does is for the good. We cannot be picky because HaShem put us in this world. HaShem was not picky in that he created all types of people in this world. We have to remember that HaShem did not put us in this world to be picky. Being picky is not the right thing to do. We have to work on not being picky. We have to be happy with what we have and we have to have emunah. We cannot say we will only daven if someone is with us. We must do our best to daven on our own when necessary. If you cannot daven from a siddur you can daven to HaShem from your heart.

It is sometimes good to be picky. HaShem was picky when he chose to give the Jewish people the Torah instead of giving it to another nation. HaShem was picky in a good way that he chose us, but we must not be picky in a bad way.

If I were picky I would not be able to do things. I would not be able to use my wheelchair because I would be very picky about what kind of wheelchair I have. If I were picky I would be miserable all my life, but since I am not picky I have a very good life. I have worked on myself not to be picky about things.

We have to know when to be picky and we have to understand when not to be picky. This is a very hard thing to do. As Jewish people, we are supposed to be picky in some ways. Not being satisfied with what we have is one of thereasons why we are not united as one as bnei yisroel. If we choose to be picky we are delaying the coming of Mashiachyou want to be picky Moshiach. We will not be able to welcome Moshiach and return to Israel as a united nation until we learn to accept what HaShem has given us.

I know that we always say that Moshiach is coming very soon, but what is very soon. Very soon will be when people learn not to be envious of what others have. It is not a mitzvah to look at other people that have more than you. When people become jealous they become even more picky and they do not know what they want or what they don’t want.

Everything is up to HaShem. We have to have emunah in everything that we do. We have to believe that everything will go the right way. HaShem gave us the Torah and knows more than we do. HaShem wanted the Jewish people to have the Torah and learn the Torah. We should not be jealous of other people. We always have to be happy with what we have and what we do not have.

If I wanted I could be upset my whole life. I could ask people why they have more than me. I am in a wheelchair. I can’t do whatever I want. I can’t go wherever I want. I need help. Even though I have a hard life, I make the best of it. Some days are good and some day are not, but everything is up to HaShem. Whatever happens happens for a reason and we cannot question that. It will not get us anywhere to question and we will only become more upset. We must have emunah. The more emunah and bitachon we have the less picky we will be.

We have to work with people and not against people. When we are picky we are working against people. I also have to work on having more emunah and not being picky. Even though I learn Torah every night with one of my family members, sometimes I feel that I am picky with many other things and I should not be. I think that is how many people work in this world and that is not a good thing.

CJP 2016 North Shore Community Grant Recipients

The committee focused on fully funding as many programs as possible that they believed would align best with the community’s current greatest needs.

The CJP North Shore Grants Committee met in late May to discuss and review this year’s North Shore Community Grant applications. The $28,300 grant pool encourages North Shore Jewish organizations and individuals to work together to create innovative programs and initiatives that address the North Shore Jewish community’s most pressing needs.

In 2014, CJP’s North Shore Advisory Committee completed a North Shore needs assessment to listen to community members to ascertain its most pressing needs. This spring, the Grants Committee evaluated thirteen applications on the merit of their alignment with the following funding priorities:

• High quality Jewish education (for children, teens and adults)
• Programs that engage families with young children and teens that have previously not been engaged with Jewish life
• Social service programs, including for people with disabilities and those who are economically vulnerable
• Leadership development for the Next Generation
• Programs that focus on Israel engagement

This bold, new strategic direction originated as a result of thoughtful discussion around best grantmaking practices and trusting the applicants to know what it takes to run successful programs for the community.

The following organizations were awarded grants for programs that will begin this fall.

The Grantees and Programs

Jewish Big Brother Big Sister: JBBBS Expansion to the North Shore
This grant is seed funding for Jewish Big Brother Big Sister’s expansion to the North Shore. There is a waitlist of children from the North Shore, who are waiting for a mentor. This grant will allow JBBBS to begin marketing, outreach, and volunteer recruitment to bring JBBBS and its services to the area.

Gateways – Access to Jewish Education: Social Skills North
Social Skills North will continue Gateways’ work with the Social Thinking® curriculum, introducing new locations and continuing with Cohen Hillel Academy. The focus will be on North Shore Jewish preschool through grade five students and teachers. Through workshops and onsite follow up, Gateways staff will support teachers in addressing student social-emotional challenges.

Congregation Shirat Hayam of the North Shore and Temple Emanu-El: iEngage – Foundations for a New Relationship with Israel
The iEngage program, a collaboration between Shirat Hayam and Temple Emanu-El, will offer a nine-part course with video lecture and text study curriculum from the Shalom Hartman Institute. This course, which is open to the entire North Shore community, will focus on a nuanced exploration of contemporary Israel and our relationship with her as American Jews. The program aims to help participants grow in their attachment to, knowledge of, and confidence in their capacity to talk about Israel.

New England Yachad of the Orthodox Union: North Shore Programming
This grant will help Yachad expand the breadth and depth of Yachad’s programming on the North Shore. Yachad aims to enhance the life opportunities of individuals with and without disabilities, ensuring their full participation in the full spectrum of Jewish life. Yachad will expand programming to reach more of the North Shore’s 23 communities, increase parent and family support services, create new meaningful partnerships in the region, and identify new peers and volunteers who will enjoy and benefit from Yachad.

North Shore Teen Initiative: Serving Learning Expansion – L’Shaper and Teen Led Initiatives
NSTI will expand its community service offerings that emphasize the development of youth leaders who themselves will design and implement projects. In cooperation with the Lynn Shelter Association’s Independence House, a family shelter, NSTI looks to expand its program to have 20-25 kids volunteer per week with 45 unique teens per year. Additionally, this grant will expand the Dereck Sheckman Teen Leadership Award program that supports teens to develop and execute unique community service projects to engage their peers.

To view the original article on JewishBoston.com, click here.

RKYHS Students Run for Yachad in Jerusalem Marathon

RKYHS students who traveled to Israel to run in the Jerusalem Marathon, had an incredible experience while raising money for Yachad. Rachel Luxenberg, Leora Schwartzbach and Clara Loeb joined their eight RKYHS classmates who were running for Shlava for an unforgettable trip. The trio raised close to $8,500 for Yachad.  In addition to their races, the students and their faculty advisor Ms. Danielle Goldstein participated in a chesed project with Yachad making pizza for IDF soldiers, and joined the rest of the RKYHS delegation touring the Shalva facility and learning about all that Shalva does for children with disabilities in Israel.

This article was written by JLNJ Staff.

To view the original article, click here.

Yachad’s IVDU School for Girls Visits OU Kosher in NYC

Earlier this month, six students from Yachad’s IVDU Elementary Girls School in Brooklyn took a trip to the OU Kosher headquarters in downtown Manhattan to learn about kosher meat, fish and vegetables. As part of the Harry H. Beren ASK OU – VISIT OU program, Rabbi Akiva Tendler, OU Kosher rabbinic coordinator, gave the eager children demonstrations on salting meat, differentiating between kosher and non-kosher fish, and checking lettuce for bugs. After the presentation, Yachad’s Joel Daner Communal Fellows Amanda Parker and Yossi Szpigiel led the group on a special tour of the OU.

Harry H. Beren ASK OU – VISIT OU receives many requests throughout the year from elementary and high schools to visit the OU.

Rabbi Yosef Grossman, Senior Rabbinic Coordinator at the OU and Director of its Kosher Education Department, said, “It was my pleasure to be part of an inter department program at the OU whereby OU Kosher’s Harry H. Beren VISIT OU program partnered with Yachad for the benefit of these wonderful girls.”

Yachad is the Orthodox Union agency dedicated to enhancing the opportunities of individuals with disabilities; promoting Inclusion and independence through a full array of integrated activities; and ensuring their full participation in mainstream Jewish life. Yachad’s Individualized Vocational Development Unit (IVDU) Schools offer Jewish students with special needs a comprehensive and nurturing educational environment.

One of the students wrote, “Today I went on a trip to the OU building. We met Rabbi Tendler. He taught all of us the different textures of the chicken. I like to learn all the different parts of the chicken. I checked all the lettuce for bugs.  Amanda and Yossi gave us a tour of the OU building, Amanda gave us a gift. Afterwards we saw the Statue of Liberty. I had a great time.”

This article was written by the OU Staff.

To view the original article on the Orthodox Union website, click here.

Omaha Yachad’s Inclusion Event Produces 100 Packages for IDF Lone Soldiers

Last month, when Yachad’s New York-based international headquarters called to ask if Omaha Yachad would be participating in a collective program to assemble care packages for Israel Defense Force soldiers, with 15 other Yachad chapters in the United States and Canada, I don’t think they expected “little Omaha” to produce 100 care packages.

Yachad is the Orthodox Union agency dedicated to enhancing the opportunities of individuals with disabilities; promoting Inclusion and independence through a full array of integrated activities; and ensuring their full participation in mainstream Jewish life.

The care packaging initiative was organized as a project for North American Inclusion Month (NAIM), an annual February initiative of Yachad.

In the spirit of NAIM, the initial intent was to “include” all of the North American Yachad chapters, but I wanted to “include” all of our Omaha community in a united effort to give back.  Our Yachad members are so fortunate to have many people in Omaha give to us and contribute to programming and other initiatives. For all of you to help Yachad give back to others in need, helps everyone feel valued and inclusive….that no matter who we are, we all have something to contribute to others. We set a lofty goal, but thanks to a true community-wide effort we were able to meet that goal.

This past Sunday, Yachad and Bnai Brith Youth Organization (BBYO) came together to assemble 100 care packages to IDF soldiers, thanks to the following community efforts:

• Beth El Synagogue:         

100 pairs of socks

• Temple Israel:                  

100 Word Find/Sudoku Books

• Beth Israel Synagogue:  

100 sticks of Chapstick

• Pennie Z. Davis Child Development Center:                                   

300 sticks of Twizzlers

• Friedel Jewish Academy:        

100 Personalized Notes to the soldiers

• Bag-N-Save:                     

Kosher candy, donated to Jewish Family Service

• BBYO:                                 

100 purse size packs of tissues

• Jewish Federation of Omaha Staff, community members and JSS Board Members: 

100 decks of playing cards and 100 tubes of Neosporin

The packages are now on their way to New York, where they will be shipped to Israel’s lone soldiers by Nefesh B’Nefesh together with the packages from other Yachad chapters.

Batya Jacob, Yachad’s director of Educational Support Services and coordinator, of its national programs, explained, “The response we received from our chapters across North America for the Lone Soldier Project this past month was astounding.  Every Yachad chapter packed gifts for the lone soldier olim (immigrants to Israel) through Nefesh B’Nefesh together with Orthodox Union’s Seif Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus (OU-JLIC) or Hillel students from local college campuses.”

She continued, “Our Omaha chapter exceeded these parameters by inviting the entire Jewish community to participate and be a partner in this important project.  Kudos to Karen Gustafson and Omaha Yachad program director Jan McCarthy for their leadership on this and the many Yachad projects that they run each year. In addition, we thank Nefesh B’Nefesh for partnering with Yachad and OU-JLIC by delivering the packages to the soldiers in Israel who are protecting our homeland, the State of Israel.”

Yachad’s PowerPoint Purim Brings Megillah To Life for an Inclusive Experience

Purim. The very word connotes a day of masks, merrymaking, and feasting on home-baked Hamantaschen containing fruity exotic fillings. It is also a time when Jews from across the world from near and far will gather to fulfill the mitzvah of Megillat Esther as it retells the story of the Persian Queen with her secret identity and how she saves her people at the risk of her own life.

Yachad, in its mission to achieve Inclusion for individuals of all abilities in this uniquely experiential Purim activity, will once again be offering its Purim PowerPoint Megillah presentation free of charge to synagogues, schools, and community centers interested in promoting Inclusion for all who wish to be part of the mitzvah of listening to the Megillah. The presentation is directed at the deaf and hard of hearing; the visually impaired; children with focusing and attention challenges; and the elderly.

Purim begins Wednesday night, March 23.

Now in its ninth year, the PowerPoint presentation uses visual aids to indicate when to stamp out the name of Haman. Already, more than 750 shuls and schools from Taiwan (yes, Taiwan!) to Teaneck have signed up for the program, as well as the Orthodox Union’s Seif Jewish Learning Initiative program on 21 university campuses across North America.

Says Batya Jacob, Director of Educational Support Services of Yachad, ‘As we recently concluded Yachad’s North American Inclusion Month (NAIM) in February, we are now focusing on continuing its mission throughout the year in including all members of our community regardless of their abilities or disabilities. The Megillat Esther PowerPoint program allows synagogues, schools and community centers to open their doors to every person who would like to be part of the joyous community celebration of Purim.’

The presentation includes enhanced animated graphics, making the megillah reading even more interactive and visually appealing. The slides may also be edited and other pictures can be inserted in the presentation. Some congregations use pictures of their members with costumes or groggers.

Click here to view the trailer of the Purim PowerPoint presentation.

To receive your copy of the Purim PowerPoint Presentation disc or for further information, call 212-613-8376 or email naim@ou.org.

Yachad’s Take on Inclusion

By Mira Labovitz, Baltimore Yachad

The Storm After the Calm

Snow at O’Hare/Creative Commons

In its seventh season of competition, the Orthodox Union’s Team Yachad faced a new challenge:  how to return to New York when a historic blizzard shut down the airport and the roads.

 Many of the advisors had to resume college classes, so the thought of an extended stay in Florida, while appealing, was impossible.

 Already in Miami to prep for the race, Yachad Associate Director Eli Hagler and his dedicated staff monitored the snowy situation from down south and wasted no time in finding their way out of a logistical nightmare.

 Says Eli: “We were aware of what was going on over Shabbos up north and Yachad staffers were up all night (quite literally) Saturday night. 

Once flights were cancelled, we felt we had to do a few things right away:

 We informed emergency contacts of each runner that we were monitoring the weather with our travel agent and the airlines as of Thursday night.  I sent updates on Thursday night, Friday morning and Friday afternoon that flights were still on.

Another update went out Saturday night that most Sunday and Monday flights to the northeast had been cancelled, and we were working on arrangements but the most important thing at the time was to allow the runners to enjoy their race and not worry about travel/weather. 

On motzei Shabbat we got our hotel to extend the stays of some runners and staff and we arranged catered meals through Tuesday lunch.  Both hotel (Deauville Beach Resort) and caterer (Five Star Caterers of New Jersey) were amazingly calm, accommodating and understanding. 

On Sunday morning at about 4am I chartered a bus to drive from Miami Beach to NY/NJ Sunday night.  Our travel agent was advising us that airports would remain closed until Monday at noon. If this was the case, it would be very unlikely that we would be able to get everyone onto flights on Monday or even Tuesday. If anyone needed to get back for either class, work or because they had other children at home, we thought it very important to have a way to do that.  We had about 30 people on the bus that left Sunday night at 9pm and arrived in Teaneck shortly before 9pm on Monday night.   

Ultimately, with the help of our travel agent (Murray’s Travel of St. Louis , everyone not on the bus had their flights rebooked. 

By Wednesday night, we had succeeded in getting everyone safely home — no small miracle.  Here’s hoping for clear skies in 2017!”

This article was written by OU Staff.

To view the original article on the Orthodox Union website, click here.

Running for a Cause

Andrew Jacobson of Swampscott, a freshman at Brandeis University, is running a half-marathon in Miami on January 24 for Yachad in honor of American teenager Ezra Schwartz who was killed in Israel in November (Ezra was a Yachad volunteer in Israel). After learning that Ezra was killed doing a mitzvah delivering food to Israeli soldiers, Jacobson became determined to do one in his honor. His goal is to raise $3,000 for Yachad. To donate, visit miami.teamyachad.com/runner/andrewjacobson/.

To view the original article on the Jewish Journal MA website, click here.

Yachad’s First Winter Leadership Shabbaton and Service Learning Mission

By Adam Baron and Meir Lightman, Juniors at TABC

Adam Baron and Meir Lightman

Yachad’s First Winter Leadership Shabbaton and Service Mission was an amazing experience and those who attended are sure to never forget the lessons they learned, the skills they were taught, and the relationships they built.

The weekend started with a long but entertaining bus ride to Pearlstone Retreat Center in Maryland, where we had an enriching Shabbos in which we learned about the meaning of true leadership and how anyone can step up and become a leader. We engaged in hands on activities and listened to inspiring words from both advisors and guest speakers. We even had the privilege of hearing from Special Olympics athlete, Loretta Claiborne. She informed us about how she overcame obstacles throughout her life in order to become the face of the Special Olympics. In addition, she told us that as a child she had been discriminated against due to her disability and race, but that she was still able to overcome those challenges and win gold medals for her victories in numerous Special Olympic marathons.

On the last day of our weekend, we went to Baltimore and served lunch at Sarah’s Hope, a local shelter, and at Tudor Heights, an assisted living center. While these two experiences involved people from very different backgrounds, we were able to connect and have fun with the kids, at the shelter and the elderly, at the assisted living center. Through this, we were all able to expand Yachad’s philosophy of inclusion to people that we do not usually interact with on a day-to-day basis. After finishing up at these community service events, we ended off the trip at Art with a Heart, where we created art that was going to be distributed to local children.

This was a unique trip where we all strengthened our leadership skills and our inclusiveness with whom we interacted with. We would strongly urge current 10th and 11th graders to join the Shabbaton next year so that they can benefit from all that we had the opportunity to learn from. We can’t wait to return next year!