26 Aug SPEAK YOUR VUES WITH THE VUES MASTER

Please note that the author of Speak Your Vues is in no way affiliated with the publisher of
this paper. The author of this column is an independent third party contributor. The views and
opinions expressed by this author may not reflect the views and opinions of the publishers. If
one has any issues with any of the views, please write a letter to the Vues Master.

ELUL
Dear Vues Master,
Elul has arrived, and with it comes that bittersweet moment
many of us know well: saying goodbye to our sons and
daughters as they return to Eretz Yisrael for yeshiva and
seminary. We’re filled with pride as they head off to a year
of growth, Torah learning, and spiritual connection in the
holiest of places. There’s truly nowhere better for them to
be. But as parents, it’s never easy to let go.
Bein hazmanim is a special time. Having our children
home—even for a few short weeks—fills our homes with
light. The divrei Torah, the laughter, the shared Shabbos
meals, and the late-night conversations… we cherish every
moment. And then Elul comes, the suitcases come out, and
the airport drop-offs begin—along with that familiar mix of
pride and heartache. We know they’re where they belong,
and we daven every day for their hatzlacha. But yes, the
goodbyes are still hard. To all the fellow parents feeling
the same—you’re not alone. And to our children: thank
you. Thank you for your dedication, your growth, and your
commitment to Torah and to building a bright future for
Klal Yisrael. May this Elul and the new year ahead be filled
with deep learning, spiritual aliyah, and many simchas. And
may we parents find comfort in knowing we are still with
you—every step of the way.
LY
Vues Master’s Note: AMEN!

CATSKILLS
Dear Vues Master,
I just wanted to take a moment to express how much I
absolutely loved this summer. From the beautiful weather
to the vibrant atmosphere all around, this season in the
Catskills was one of the best yet. Every year, it seems to
get better and better—and this summer truly exceeded all
expectations. One of the highlights for me was reading
The Country Vues each week. It’s the perfect mix of
inspiration, community updates, helpful information,
fun questions, pictures, jokes, and a true reflection of our
shared experiences upstate. Your columnists are amazing.
The paper always brought a smile to my face and helped
me feel more connected to the frum community around me.
It truly is the “newspaper of Klal Yisrael.” Thank you for
your incredible work!
It’s amazing to see how the Catskills continue to grow.
There are more restaurants, more amenities, and most
importantly, more frum Yidden than ever before. The sense

of achdus and kedushah in the mountains is so special, and
it fills me with gratitude and pride to be a part of it. Whether
it’s bumping into familiar faces at minyan, enjoying new
eateries with friends and family, or simply taking in the
fresh air and the beauty of Hashem’s creation—this summer
had it all.
As the season winds down, I already find myself counting
the days until next summer. May we all be zocheh to return
to the mountains in good health and simcha, and may each
year bring even more bracha.
Thank you again for enhancing our summer!
MY
Vues Master’s Note: Yes, we are looking forward to the
Catskills inthe mountains of Yerushalayim!

PHOTO OP
Dear Vues Master,
This summer, Country Vues was more than just a publication
in our household — it became a full-contact competitive
sport. Every Wednesday and Thursday, as soon as the paper
hit the table, a family-wide game would begin: “Who Had
the Most Photos This Week?”
The contenders? None other than the icons of the Country
Vues photo universe — Rabbi Jungreis, Chief Richie
Taylor, and Lt. Special Assignment Ira Jablonsky. It got
intense. Brackets were made. Bets were placed (in pretzel
sticks, of course — we keep it heimish). Rabbi Jungreis
seemed to have given brachos to half the Catskills. Chief
Richie Taylor had a photo with every celebrity who stepped
foot upstate this summer. And Lt. Ira Jablonsky? He’d
take a picture with literally anyone — and we loved him
for it. Honestly, we love them all. Seeing their smiling
faces each week brought real joy to our home and made us
feel connected — even if we were stuck behind the grill,
covered in bug spray, and arguing over who’s making the
cholent for Shabbos.
So thank you for the fun, the photos, and the good vibes.
We’re already bracing ourselves for next summer’s photo
showdown.
A Grateful (and Slightly Competitive) Country Vues
Reader, Monticello, NY
Vues Master’s Note: Ha! Ha! I get the picture!

RABBI WEIN ZT”L
Dear Vues Master,
Didn’t hear my name mentioned! Rabbi Wein told over a
dramatic story of how he visited the Children’s Holocaust

Museum, where there’s a lit candle reflected
by mirrors to remember the one and a half
million children who perished during the
Holocaust — slaughtered by the Nazis,
YMShvz!
Rabbi Wein has been to other Holocaust
museums, but none got to his nerves like this
one. There’s a recording that plays name after
name — young boys and girls, and their ages
— all brutally killed, HY”D.
When Rabbi Wein ran out of there, he
remembered that he didn’t hear his name —
Baruch Hashem — that he was a survivor,
B’siyata D’shmaya. This shook him to the
core. He realized the Ribono Shel Olam
wanted him to live for a purpose — to be
marbitz Torah and to be mechayeh nefashos.
If one person is an entire world, then Rabbi
Wein — through your books (Echoes of
Glory, Faith & Fate, Triumph of Survival,
Herald of Destiny, Tendering the Vineyard,

In My Opinion, Nostalgia to Eternity, Teach
Them with Diligence, The Wein Press, Travels
of Eliyahu Hanavi) — you have restored a
million and a half worlds by teaching Torah to
future generations.
I loved your Jewish history tapes and courses,
especially your Jewish videos on Rashi and
Rambam. You used to say that G-d hasn’t
spoken to you in two weeks lately. So now
please go up to the Kisei HaKavod, and in
your eloquent fashion, beg Hashem to let
Eliyahu visit us — just like you wrote in your
book about the different places Eliyahu may
have visited during this long galus.
Please let him come now! He doesn’t have to
wait for Seder night or a bris milah.
Rabbi Wein, with your dry sense of humor
and dramatic flair, please remind Eliyahu
Hanavi: Harachaman Hu Yishlach Lanu Es
Eliyahu Hanavi Zachur L’Tov – U’vasser
Lanu Besuros Tovos, Yeshuos V’Nechamos!
RMS
Vues Master’s Note: Wow! Great story!

HAPPY B-DAY
Dear Vues Master,
At the 60th birthday party of a member of
his kehillah, the rav was asked what bracha
he had for him. The rabbi replied: “Shelo
yihiyeh batel b’shishim.” (“That he shouldn’t
be nullified among sixty” – a clever halachic
pun implying he should always stand out and
remain significant.)
HG
Vues Master’s Note:
They say the more birthdays you have, it’s a
segulah for long life!

COUNTRY
Dear Vues Master,
I haven’t lived in Brooklyn for very long, but
I’m amazed by the phenomenon of Jews going
upstate or to New Jersey for the summer.
Traffic is so much better without you guys! If
you love it upstate so much, why not do us all
a favor and move up there?
AB
Vues Master’s Note: But then you wouldn’t
appreciate what you have. It’s like Hashem
reminding us—sometimes by breaking a
limb—so that we appreciate it when it’s in
working condition!

LEIN
Dear Vues Master,
A lot of yeshivas these days are telling bar
mitzvah boys not to lein their parshas. They
believe it causes too much anxiety for the
child and isn’t necessary. I disagree. I think
every boy should at least try to lein his parsha.
If it’s too hard, let him just lein an aliyah or
do the haftorah. If we don’t push these boys
to lein, we may miss out on discovering many
talented future leiners.
BL
Vues Master’s Note: I agree. It’s just our lazy
generation!

KAVOD
Dear Vues Master:
I get turned off when a wealthy person
donates large sums to a yeshiva, tzedakah, or
organization in a very public manner. They
might make a big announcement or have
their name prominently displayed on the
new building, program, or initiative. Don’t
get me wrong — donors absolutely deserve
appreciation. But I’m focusing here on the
mindset of the giver, not the recipient.
Frum Jews know that we should strive to do
mitzvos l’sheim Shamayim — for the sake of
Heaven — rather than for money or honor.
Personally, I have great respect for anonymous
or understated giving.
Do you think there’s anything wrong with
seeking recognition or fame for a donation,
instead of giving quietly (b’shtilkeit)?

– TL
Vues Master’s Note: If it helps others, I’m all
for it. Whatever benefits tzedakah.

MOVIE THEATER
Dear Vues Master,
It’s such a shame that the movie theater is still
standing in Woodbourne. They should knock
it down and build a nice parking lot for the
Woodbourne shul and for the benefit of the
entire town. Every week, I notice a car getting
stuck in that parking lot. You’d think the town
would have done something by now. It’s been
at least thirty five years since that theater
actually showed movies.
NH
Vues Master’s Note: The movie theater needs
a moving experience!

ANTISEMITISM
Dear Vues Master,
“An act of antisemitic hatred.” That’s
how French President Emmanuel Macron
described the recent cutting down of a
memorial tree in a Paris suburb—planted in
memory of Ilan Halimi, a French Jew brutally
tortured and murdered by a Muslim gang in
2006.
Ironically, at the time, French authorities
initially denied the antisemitic nature of the
murder, despite overwhelming evidence.
The government also insisted on holding the
killers’ trial behind closed doors, claiming
two of the 27 defendants were slightly under
18. The Halimi family suspected this was an
attempt to downplay the antisemitism behind
the crime.
Today, there’s no dispute: the murder was
antisemitic. And now, the felling of the
memorial tree is likewise being labeled as
such.
But one wonders: would Macron be willing
to recognize the role of antisemitism in many
other French actions and policies over the
decades?
If cutting down a tree is antisemitic, what
about protecting an indicted Nazi war
criminal?
After World War II, French authorities allowed
Haj Amin al-Husseini, the Grand Mufti of
Jerusalem and a notorious Nazi collaborator,
to reside comfortably in a Paris suburb. This
was despite his indictment by Yugoslavia
for war crimes. When international pressure
mounted in 1946, the French let him “escape”
on a TWA flight to Cairo, where he was
granted asylum.
Was it antisemitic when French President
Charles de Gaulle described Jews as
“domineering”? At a 1967 press conference,
De Gaulle referred to Jews as “an elite people,
sure of itself and domineering,” claiming
this had historically provoked hostility. He
insisted he wasn’t antisemitic—yet 44% of
the French public agreed with him, according
to L’Express magazine.

What about more recent history?
In 1976, France condemned Israel’s rescue
operation at Entebbe—during which Arab
terrorists were killed. In 1977, they detained
and then quickly released Abu Daoud, the
mastermind behind the Munich Olympics
massacre, allowing him to flee to Algeria.
Yet when ISIS struck in Paris in 2015,
French leaders—rightfully—responded with
righteous fury. President Hollande labeled
the attackers “barbarians” and vowed to
show “no mercy.” France launched airstrikes
that hit not just terror sites but also nearby
clinics, stadiums, and museums.
Compare that to President Macron in 2024,
who imposed an arms embargo on Israel for
similar military actions, even as Hamas hid
in schools and hospitals.
Today, Macron decries the destruction of
a memorial tree while also threatening to
recognize the “State of Palestine”—this after
the October 7th massacre, which involved
mass murder, torture, and gang rapes of over
1,200 Israeli civilians.
Which is more antisemitic: cutting down a
tree, or rewarding genocidal terror?
Let’s not forget—there are separatist
movements in Brittany, Savoy, and Corsica,
yet Macron hasn’t spoken of recognizing
their claims to statehood.
According to the IHRA definition of
antisemitism (adopted by 46 countries,
including the U.S.), one example is
“applying double standards by requiring
of Israel a behavior not expected of any
other democratic nation.” Macron demands
of Israel what he refuses to do himself—
something far more serious than just a tree.
In 1942, Dr. Seuss—yes, the beloved
author—drew a chilling cartoon for
P.M., a New York newspaper. As the Nazis
deported French Jews to Auschwitz, Seuss
depicted Hitler and French PM Pierre
Laval in a forest, singing the poem Trees by
Joyce Kilmer—surrounded by the bodies of
murdered Jews hanging from the branches.
Seuss added a cruel twist: they sing that
killing Jews is “sport for you and me.”

That has too often been the reality: from
the Nazis, to the Munich terrorists, to Ilan
Halimi’s killers, to Hamas.
The best way to honor Ilan’s memory is not
just to mourn the tree, but to stand firmly
against all antisemitism—whether it’s
obvious or hypocritically disguised.
Dr. Rafael Medoff
Vues Master’s Note: Sad—but the unfortunate
reality of our world.

LEARN FROM THE DAF
Dear Vues Master,
Perhaps the Daf Yomi Indirectly Suggests
We Should Learn from Our Enemies
The Talmud famously states that Rabbi
Chanina learned much from his teachers,
more from his colleagues, and most from his
students (Taanit 7a). Perhaps recent events—
and a recent Daf Yomi—suggest that we can
also learn, at times, even from our enemies.
Not in terms of values, but in terms of tactics.
In a recent Daf Yomi (Avoda Zara 70), the
Talmud discusses a gentile standing among
barrels of wine in a suspicious manner. Rava
explores whether he had an excuse for being
there. The discussion centers not on whether
the excuse was good or bad, but simply
whether he had any plausible justification for
his presence.
Our enemies today have no shortage of
excuses for their actions—not just for one
infamous day in 2023, but for an ongoing
campaign. Yet these excuses have managed to
persuade a disturbing number of progressives
and youth that what they did was justified.
If they can convince others with far weaker
arguments, surely we—armed with truth,
morality, and clarity—should be able to do
even better.
Recently, a prominent politician made
headlines by defending views that go against
the values of civilized society and the free
enterprise system that has allowed Jews and
others to thrive in the U.S. and elsewhere. We
must do better in countering these narratives.
Israel is filled with intelligent and eloquent
citizens, but apparently, that’s not enough. As

Israel continues to absorb new immigrants
from the U.S., it’s vital that the spokespeople
presented to the foreign press include more
young, articulate individuals who speak
fluent, unaccented English. These are the
voices that can effectively engage not only
world leaders, but also the younger American
generation—who are playing an increasingly
influential role in shaping U.S. political,
financial, and military policy toward Israel.
Rabbi Aaron I. Reichel, Esq.
Vues Master’s Note: We never seem to learn
from history!

TRUTH OR LIE
Dear Vues Master,
It was said about a certain rabbi that whenever
litigants came before him to rule on a
monetary dispute, he would shut his eyes and
doze off. However, when the litigants would
get angry and call each other “thief,” the
rabbi would immediately open his eyes and
listen attentively. His nephew once asked
him why he did that. The rabbi explained:
“I judge according to the law. Whenever two
Jews are arguing over money, I consider them
both presumed liars. And since the Torah
commands, ‘Distance yourself from a false
matter,’ I shut my eyes and nod off. But once
they get agitated and start yelling ‘thief!’ to
each other, I consider them both presumed to
be telling the truth—because the Sages said:
‘Most thieves are Jews.’ So I immediately
open my eyes and listen carefully, so I can
hear words of truth.”
–JK
Vues Master’s Note: Either way, he needs to
get the ruling right!

STOMACH
Dear Vues Master,
A Rav observed that some Jews have a version
of Judaism that revolves entirely around
eating holiday foods: Latkes on Chanukah,
hamantaschen on Purim, cheesecake on
Shavuos, and so on. He said they are the ones
referred to when Tehillim says: “Your Torah
is in my innards” (מעי בתוך תורתך(.
IF
Vues Master’s Note: Ha! Ha! I can’t
stomach these jokes!

BELIEF
Dear Vues Master,
A Rav once asked a young man: “If
I understand you correctly, you’re an
atheist and don’t believe in anything?”
The young man responded: “I only
believe in what I understand.”
The Rav replied: “Now I understand why
you don’t believe in anything.”
JN
Vues Master’s Note: Ha! Ha! What a
come-back line from the Rav!

FOOD
Dear Vues Master,
A restaurant owner in Yerushalayim noticed
a neighborhood man who would sit outside
his restaurant every day with his own meal.
Curious, the owner asked why he ate there.
“I enjoy the fine aroma from your kitchen,”
the man replied. Eventually, the owner
got annoyed and told the man he’d have to
pay for the enjoyment of the smell. When
he refused, the owner took him to a Din
Torah. After hearing both sides, the Dayan
(judge) asked the man if he had any coins
in his pocket. When he said yes, the Dayan
instructed him to jingle the coins. “What?”
said the restaurant owner. “What kind of
psak (ruling) is that?”
The Dayan explained: “He’ll pay for the
smell of your food with the sound of his
money.”
BM
Vues Master’s Note: I’m sure he didn’t like
the sound of that psak! The psak kind of
smelled!

FAVORITE
Dear Vues Master,
I would like to share my five favorite parts of
The Jewish & Country Vues:
1- The jokes
2- The fun questions
3- The Wheel of Mazel
4- Torah IQ
5- Rabbi Moshe Meir Weiss’s articles
Keep up the great work! You guys have the
best papers out there!
JL
Vues Master’s Note: We appreciate the
feedback. Please continue enjoying!

MONEY IN YOUR MOUTH
Dear Vues Master,
A man showed up at the hospital after
accidentally swallowing some cash. The
doctor removed it and then asked him, “How
did this even happen?” He replied, “Today I
learned never to listen to people who tell me
to put my money where my mouth is.”
— LD
Vues Master’s Note: I’m betting this guy has
lost some money over the years! To coin a
phrase, money doesn’t grow on trees—so we
don’t eat it!