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    SPEAK YOUR VUES WITH THE VUES MASTER

    EGG PRICES
    Dear Vues Master
    The price of eggs has skyrocketed lately, mainly due to the
    bird flu outbreak that has wiped out millions of chickens.
    The local groceries are charging over $7 a dozen. Some
    places are charging $9.50 a dozen. The shortage has driven
    up production costs, and the price at the store is higher than
    ever. It’s frustrating because something as basic as eggs
    has become unaffordable. It’s tough to make meals without

    them, and it feels like it’s getting harder to stretch the bud-
    get with prices constantly rising. LT

    Vues Master’s Note: Let’s hope Trump can do something
    about this also!

    MATZAH BAKERIES
    Dear Vues Master,
    I write today with a sense of optimism and hope that is
    shared by many in our Frum community. As you may
    know, former Congressman Lee Zeldin has recently been

    confirmed by the U.S. Senate to take on the role of Ad-
    ministrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

    within President Donald J. Trump’s Cabinet. This is an im-
    portant moment for our community, and we are hopeful

    that Zeldin’s leadership will bring much-needed relief for
    the challenges our matzah bakeries face in New York City.
    The situation regarding the recent regulatory changes has
    raised significant concern among matzah bakeries in our

    area. Initially, the law that aimed to regulate certain busi-
    nesses—particularly New York City pizza shops—has in-
    advertently placed a burden on our matzah bakeries. Due

    to vague language in the regulation, NYC has specifically
    highlighted matzah bakeries, while New York State has
    made no mention of them at all. This lack of clarity and
    the subsequent impact on our community’s businesses has
    created undue hardship during an already challenging time.
    Many of us in the Frum community are optimistic that Lee
    Zeldin, who has long been a staunch advocate for causes

    important to the Jewish community, will use his new posi-
    tion at the EPA to intervene in this matter. Zeldin is not just

    a “friend and ally” to us—he is a true advocate who has
    consistently supported issues that resonate deeply with our

    values and needs. His track record in Congress demonstrat-
    ed a commitment to protecting both our religious freedoms

    and the businesses that serve our community.
    We hope that under Zeldin’s leadership, the EPA will take
    action to override both New York City and New York

    State’s current stance on this decree, providing the neces-
    sary relief to our matzah bakeries. These establishments,

    which are essential for the observance of our religious tra-
    ditions, should not be caught in the crossfire of poorly con-
    structed regulations aimed at other industries.

    We are encouraged by the possibility of having a leader
    like Lee Zeldin in the position to advocate on our behalf.

    His experience, dedication, and understanding of the im-
    portance of these businesses to our community give us

    hope that positive change is on the horizon.
    FT
    Vues Master’s Note: Maybe the environment can survive
    without these crazy laws!

    NOBODY WANTS EM
    Dear Vues Master,
    Wow!
    70 Palestinian prisoners sent to Egypt as part of the hostage
    deal are being housed in hotels, but Egyptian authorities

    are preventing them from leaving. Meanwhile, Arab coun-
    tries and Turkey refuse to accept them.

    I love how the whole world expects Israel to make peace
    with these people that literally no one else is willing to take
    in. I guess that’s what happens when you build a society
    that is rotten to the core. I guess that’s what happens when
    you indoctrinate your kids from age zero to kill innocent
    Jews.
    No one wants you. They can pretend they care about you,
    but when push comes to shove, no one really cares… And
    did you hear that noise? That was my heart breaking for
    them. What a backward world.
    HF
    Vues Master’s Note: These guys need to be wiped out!

    FLIGHTS
    Dear Vues Master,
    I wanted to share some fantastic news that has me really
    excited—United Airlines is resuming flights between New
    York and Tel Aviv on March 18!
    It’s been a challenging time, but knowing that the airlines

    are starting to go back to Eretz Yisrael is incredibly up-
    lifting. United will be the first U.S. airline to resume ser-
    vice to Eretz Yisrael, and while tickets aren’t available yet,

    the news that the airline is returning after such a difficult
    period is a welcome sign of progress. I’m really looking
    forward to the possibility of reconnecting with family and
    friends or even planning a trip to Eretz Yisrael once again.
    It’s great to hear that Delta will be following shortly with
    its own service starting April 1. United had previously op-

    erated a significant number of weekly flights
    to Tel Aviv before the disruption, including 14
    to New York, so this return feels like a major
    step forward for both the airline industry and
    the connection between the U.S. and Eretz
    Yisrael.

    I’m really hopeful that this marks the begin-
    ning of the end of the war in Eretz Yisrael.

    MW
    Vues Master’s Note: What will the prices be?

    FOUND
    Dear Vues Master,

    A soldier who had been drafted was deter-
    mined to get out of military service. From

    his very first day on base, his behavior was
    extremely odd. He would pick up every piece
    of paper he saw on the ground, look at it, and

    throw it back down. The presiding officer de-
    termined that he was not fit to serve and gave

    him his discharge papers. Looking at them,
    he said, “Great! These are the papers I was
    looking for.”
    DZ
    Vues Master’s Note: Maybe this could help
    me get a visa out of the country?

    FLOATING IN THE YAM SUF
    Dear Vues Master,
    True story. A minor misfortune occurred in
    my shul during Shalosh Seudos. They were
    getting ready for benching and were passing
    around the mayim acharonim. I took the keili

    and was about to wash my hands when I no-
    ticed two roaches had drowned in the vessel.

    Maybe they were gilgulim of the Mitzrayim.
    I excitedly called the gabai over and told him
    about it. He grunted, “What do you want me
    to do? Give them CPR?” “No,” I replied. “I
    just wanted to let you know that you’ll have
    to honor someone else with bentching.”
    PF
    Vues Master’s Note: Oh, bug off!

    LOVE THY NEIGHBOR, ISRAELI
    STYLE
    Dear Vues Master

    Amidst all the craziness, let me share some-
    thing beautiful that happened this past Shab-
    bos.

    We were in shul, like every Shabbos morning,
    and friends of ours were celebrating the bar
    mitzvah of their son. The plan was that after
    davening, there would be a Kiddush—a big
    spread to celebrate the occasion.
    Toward the end of davening, the mom asked
    Racheli if it was normal that the caterer
    hadn’t arrived yet. Racheli reassured her that
    the caterer was probably just running late and
    would be there soon.
    Well, “soon” came—and still no caterer.
    Someone ran to the caterer’s house to see
    what was going on, and it turned out that the
    caterer had thought the bar mitzvah was next
    week and hadn’t prepared anything!
    The Kiddush was supposed to start in 30
    minutes, and there was no caterer, no food.
    Needless to say, the bar mitzvah mom was not
    happy.
    But what happened next was nothing short of
    amazing.
    The entire community sprang into action.
    People ran home to grab cakes, cookies, nuts,
    candies, drinks, fish, chips, whiskey—you
    name it. It was an endless spread.

    I didn’t know any of this at first. When I ar-
    rived at the Kiddush, I just thought, “Wow,

    this Kiddush is so much nicer than others.
    They really went all out.”
    Only later did I find out that all of that food
    came from people’s homes within minutes of
    finding out about the misunderstanding with
    the caterer.
    As word spread through the congregation
    about what had happened, everyone was
    amazed. The father of the bar mitzvah boy

    told the rabbi, who then made an announce-
    ment to the whole shul, sharing the story with

    everyone. The entire room was floored.

    It was such a powerful reminder of the impor-
    tance of community.

    This was truly inspiring.
    Hillel Fuld
    Vues Masters Note: Mi K’amcha Yisrael

    NEW ADVISOR TO BIBI
    Dear Vues Master We are absolutely thrilled
    that Caroline B. Glick is returning to the

    Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem to serve
    as International Affairs Adviser to Prime
    Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Her extensive
    experience as a prominent Israeli-American
    columnist and senior contributing editor at
    JNS makes her an invaluable asset to the

    team. Glick’s deep understanding of inter-
    national relations, paired with her passionate

    advocacy for Israel’s interests on the global
    stage, is sure to make a significant impact.
    This development fills us with optimism,
    knowing that her expertise will strengthen

    Israel’s position internationally and contrib-
    ute to a more dynamic, strategic approach in

    navigating complex global challenges. Ad-
    ditionally, Caroline Glick is a regular and

    highly regarded feature in The Jewish Vues,
    where her insightful commentary on Israeli
    and international affairs continues to inspire
    and inform readers. RT
    Vues Masters Note: Our readers love reading
    articles by Caroline Glick! She is extremely
    intelligent and will be great at her new job!

    RABBI GOLDBERG
    Dear Vues Master,
    My family greatly appreciated the interview
    with Rabbi Goldberg by Ari Hirsch in last
    week’s edition of The Jewish Vues. Rabbi
    Goldberg’s reflections on the complexities
    of halacha in the context of current events,

    the importance of unity, and managing fi-
    nancial pressures resonated deeply. Your

    thoughtfulness and depth, particularly in
    urging us to focus on common ground and
    live within our means, are invaluable. We

    also appreciate how Rabbi Goldberg con-
    tinues to lead with clarity and compassion,

    offering perspectives that are both mean-
    ingful and practical for our daily lives.

    Rabbi Goldberg’s wisdom is a true gift, and
    we are grateful for the opportunity to read
    his work each week.
    LP
    Vues Master’s Note: Now, what about the
    price of eggs here in the USA—not the
    price of tea in China!

    GEN Z
    Dear Vues Master,

    I was very frustrated with Rabbi Efrem Gold-
    berg’s answer to the question about how to

    deal with financial pressure in the commu-
    nity. He stated that we should live within

    our means. This sounds like a great logical
    answer to a man, but the newest generation

    (Gen Z+) of women will not tolerate that an-
    swer. The modern woman is constantly on her

    smartphone, looking at all the fancy lives of
    the Joneses and feeling even more resentful
    towards her husband, who can’t match that
    lifestyle. Instead of living next to the Joneses,
    you now have to compete with a family you’ll
    probably never even meet in the real world.
    If a man were to suggest to his wife that they
    should live within their means, he would be

    blasted, humiliated, and publicly embar-
    rassed. If he can’t provide her with any of the

    following, he is somehow not a “real man”:

    Taking her on nice vacations, going to extrav-
    agant programs for Yom Tov, having a live-in

    nanny, having a second vacation house, buy-
    ing her designer dresses weekly, buying new

    designer strollers for all their kids, driving

    name-brand cars, constantly going out to ex-
    pensive restaurants..

    The list never ends. This post-Gen Z woman
    does not operate based on logic like the man,
    but instead is driven by her emotions. Rabbi
    Efrem Goldberg is clearly out of touch with

    the Gen Z woman that the younger genera-
    tion will inevitably have to deal with. He does

    mention that he’s had to hear a lot of stories

    about young couples getting divorced. I won-
    der if he has connected those dots.

    AB
    Vues Master’s Note: We will send this letter
    to Rabbi Goldberg to respond.

    KOHEN KOHEN GONE
    Dear Vues Master,
    A shul in a small town in Ohio was looking
    for a rabbi who could fill many shoes. The

    first candidate was asked about his experi-
    ence, if he knew how to learn, if he was a בעל

    קורא, if he could serve as a שוחט and occa-

    sionally as a מוהל. He re-
    sponded in the affirmative

    to each of the qualifica-
    tions.

    “But we also need a כהן, “
    they said. “Are you a
    “?כהן
    When he said that he
    wasn’t, they went on to
    the next candidate and

    asked him the same ques-
    tions. He responded in the

    affirmative to all of them
    and said that he indeed
    was a כהן.
    “But do you officiate at
    לוויות “?they asked.

    “Of course not,” he an-
    swered, “I’m a כהן.“

    They then interviewed a third rabbi and

    asked him the same questions. He too re-
    sponded in the affirmative to all of them, in-
    cluding that he was a כהן and officiates at

    לוויות.” But how do you officiate at לוויות if
    you’re a כהן “?they asked.
    “I bury my מתפללים while they’re alive,” he
    answered.
    HJ
    Vues Master’s Note: Sounds like this joke
    should be buried!

    COMING
    Dear Vues Master,

    There is a famous kasha: Why does the pa-
    suk at the beginning of the parsha say, “Boi

    el Pharaoh”? Moshe Rabbeinu is being told

    to “Go to Pharaoh.” There are other interest-
    ing answers, but if we analyze the inyan, we

    see that Paro said that only the men could go,
    while Moshe said, “Be’nureinu va’zakeneinu
    neilach.” Also, Paro had decreed that the

    male infants be drowned. Therefore, the pa-
    suk says to bring a boy to Paro to show him

    both our resilience and our demands.

    Another question is: Where were the Mitz-
    rim during the makka of Choshech? If you

    take the words “Ve’lo komu ish m’tachtav”
    literally, the answer is obvious. At the end of
    three days, they had painful hemorrhoids.
    The Drita kasha is: Why do we put so much
    work into cleaning our houses before Pesach
    each year? One answer I heard is that it
    says, “Moishav bnei Yisrael asher yashvu
    b’Mitzraim shloshim shana v’arba me’os
    shanah.” Moishav in Yiddish means dirt or
    mess, which accumulated over 430 years.
    However, there is a more direct pasuk where
    it says, “Ki ein bayis asher ein sham mess.”
    So, we take corrective action nowadays as a
    zecher.
    The ferta kasha is: The Yidden were told to

    borrow silver and gold items from the Mitz-
    rim when it would be time to leave. But when

    they left, they actually borrowed clothing in
    addition to the silver and gold. It seemed that
    the clothing were even more important. Why?

    One answer is given that until then, the Yid-
    den were wearing a slave’s uniform, while

    now they would wear free persons’ clothing.
    The question remains: If one of the reasons
    the Yidden were freed was because “Sheloi
    shanu es malbishum,” why, when they left,
    did they want the Mitzrim’s clothing? Well,
    maybe it means something else. It is written
    that the Yidden wore the same clothing for
    forty years in the Midbar, and a nes happened
    that they didn’t tear. So, maybe it means that
    they didn’t change their clothing in Mitzraim
    as well. That’s why the Mitzrim were eager
    for them to leave early after 210 years, and
    they even gave them fresh clothing, which
    the Yidden were only too glad to take after
    the Seder. DF
    Vues Master’s Note: Sounds like a Nine Days
    story where we can’t launder any money!

    HOLOCAUST
    Dear Vues Master,

    America’s response to the Holocaust, a sub-
    ject of much historical scholarship and public

    discussion in recent decades, is increasingly
    coming to the stage and screen—with mixed
    results.
    Last year’s George Clooney film, The Boys
    in the Boat, is an example of how Hollywood
    sometimes sacrifices history on the altar of
    entertainment. It tells the story of a gritty
    American rowing team that made it to the
    Olympics despite various obstacles. There’s

    nothing Hollywood likes better than a trium-
    phant underdog. But what happens when half

    the story is omitted in order to prioritize the
    thrilling narrative?
    The Olympics in question were the 1936

    games in Nazi Germany. By that time, Ger-
    many’s Jews had been driven out of their

    professions and stripped of their civil rights.
    Hundreds had been injured in a pogrom in
    Berlin. Hitler intended to use the Olympics

    to impress foreign visitors and thereby
    soften his international image.
    American Jewish organizations, the
    NAACP, and the Catholic War Veterans
    all called for an American boycott of the
    games. So did New York City Mayor
    Fiorello La Guardia. A public debate
    over whether the U.S. should take part

    raged for more than two years. The ath-
    letic community was deeply divided:

    the delegates to the convention of the

    Amateur Athletic Union, which certi-
    fied American athletes to compete in the

    Olympics, voted to support U.S. partici-
    pation—by just two and a half votes.

    As a result, a handful of American ath-
    letes boycotted the games to protest

    Hitler’s persecution of German Jews.
    The boycotters included the entire Long
    Island University basketball team, which had
    been favored to win the tryouts and represent

    the U.S. in the first-ever Olympic competi-
    tion in that sport. The LIU Blackbirds chose

    to stay home and forego the glory rather than
    lend a hand to Hitler’s makeover.
    Yet none of that is mentioned in The Boys

    in the Boat. The scrappy rowers of the Uni-
    versity of Washington, underfunded and un-
    derestimated, are shown battling their way

    through a series of competitions to qualify
    for Berlin. Along the way, not one of the
    athletes expresses the slightest qualm about
    legitimizing Nazi Germany. None of them
    seem to be aware that what they are doing is
    at the heart of a major public debate. And the
    audience watching The Boys of the Boat is
    never informed that such a debate took place.
    Were the rowers somehow unaware of the
    heated dispute raging around them? Or were
    they simply unconcerned about the suffering
    of the Jews? Whatever the answer, it should

    have been in the film. Instead, the only con-
    flict portrayed in The Boys in the Boat is

    what director Clooney imagines must have

    been class resentment between the impov-
    erished University of Washington rowers

    and the well-to-do rowers of the Ivy League
    teams.

    The critically acclaimed play The Accom-
    plices, by contrast, demonstrates that histori-
    cal controversy can be brought

    to the stage with the facts intact.
    This dramatic production will
    be revived at the Khan Theater
    in Jerusalem in February, fifteen
    years after it was last performed.
    Written by former New York
    Times correspondent Bernard
    Weinraub, The Accomplices
    tackles the subject of President
    Franklin D. Roosevelt’s failure
    to aid Europe’s Jews, and the

    conflict between American Jewish leaders
    and activists over how to respond. There are
    a few scenes in the production that are more
    compressed than literal, but that is the sort of
    minor artistic license one would expect when
    history is portrayed on stage.
    What makes The Accomplices especially
    poignant is that the role of Rabbi Wise will be
    played by Rabbi Prof. David Golinkin, who
    comes from two generations of Holocaust
    protesters. His grandfather, Rabbi Mordechai
    Golinkin, participated in the famous march
    to the White House in 1943, and his father,
    Rabbi Noah Golinkin, was a student activist
    who clashed with Wise over the need for a
    more forceful American Jewish response to
    FDR’s abandonment of the Jews.
    The Accomplices provides an important

    service in focusing attention on the Berg-
    son Group, the activists who organized that

    march in Washington and other protests. Too
    many museums and films have minimized or
    ignored the Bergson Group’s efforts.
    Another dramatic interpretation of America’s

    response to the Holocaust will soon be at-
    tracting public attention, as well. Laemmle’s

    List, a documentary by Deborah Blum, de-
    buted last month at the Miami Jewish Film

    Festival. It tells the remarkable story of her
    relative, the late Hollywood mogul Carl
    Laemmle.

    Laemmle was co-founder of Universal Pic-
    tures, which created such blockbuster films

    as Frankenstein, Dracula, and The Phantom
    of the Opera. Laemmle, who was born in
    Laupheim, Germany, rescued hundreds of

    his landsmen from Hitler—until the Roos-
    evelt administration intervened and stopped

    him, on the grounds that Laemmle was “too
    old” (71) to serve as a financial guarantor for
    would-be immigrants.
    We can expect the public conversation on
    these topics to grow in the months and years
    ahead, as dramatists and filmmakers continue

    to bring history to stage and screen—for bet-
    ter or worse.

    Rafael Medoff
    Vues Master’s Note: We need to keep this in
    the forefront as there are too many deniers!