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Yeshivah Kids Register Thousands To Vote

City Council Member David Greenfield addresses yeshivah studentsOver 200 elementary school students from six yeshivas ended their school year with a hands-on lesson in civics and walked away with some great prizes, including iPads, iPods, bicycles, and Monopoly Deal games.

These students went door-to-door, registering over 2,500 Brooklyn voters on behalf of Teach NYS in an effort facilitated by the Sephardic Community Federation. Two boys received iPads by registering 100 voters each.

Designer's Showroom To Benefit the Sephardic Community Center

The interior designers with the committee and the vendorsThe Sephardic Community Center’s DĂ©cor by the Shore designer show house was unprecedented and an overall success. The house captured the sophistication of a museum and the elegance of a Syrian household simultaneously. The motivation, inspiration, and all out determination of the committee, designers, and community made for one spectacular achievement.

Raise Your Good Cholesterol

Raising HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol is recommended for protection against cardiovascular disease. HDL helps remove the cholesterol that clogs arteries by taking it to the liver for elimination. It appears that high levels of HDL cholesterol (more than 35 mg/dL) are protective even if your total cholesterol levels are high. In addition, having a low level of HDL is now considered an independent risk factor, meaning that if your total cholesterol is within limits but your HDL is too low, your risk of heart disease is still elevated.

Relationship Matters

When scientists study the universe, they agree that if one member of a constellation changes in any form, the result on the others may be profound. In the realm of human relationships, this is also true; namely, that couples, families, communities, etc. interact on a myriad of different levels, and a change in one member affects the entire unit.

How to Keep a First Date from Being the Last

Let’s face it, getting a first date is relatively easy. A guy spots you at a professional conference; he reads your profile on an online dating site; or a mutual friend sets you up on a blind date.

The trick is to get a second date. Here are some tips to help you keep that first date from being the last.

I Am A Good Parent

Have you ever wondered how you stack up as a parent? Are your skills up to par? Are you approaching discipline and daily decisions with the right focus?

Everyone has strengths and weaknesses, even when it comes to raising children. Once you recognize the areas where you excel, and identify those where you need to make some changes, you can focus on learning new skills and creating a parenting plan of your own.

New York Senators Brief SCF on Foreign Policy

United States Senator Kirsten Gillibrand addressing the crowdAs the White House was preparing to release to the public news of death Osama Bin Laden’s death, both of New York’s United States Senators—Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand—were briefing 100 community leaders in the Midwood home of Joe and Trina Cayre on the key foreign policy challenges relating to the safety of the State of Israel. All were there to honor the Sephardic Community Federation (SCF), which in turn presented its highest honor—the annual Jacob Barsimon Award to Senator Gillibrand “in recognition of her exceptional service to the public and her dedication to improving the lives of all New Yorkers.”

Holocaust Records Put Online

Papers and photographs documenting the lives of Holocaust victims and survivors—including notable names like Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel and former Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin—are part of a collection being put online by the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC).

The Power of the Torah

On Shavuot, lovers of Torah never fail to tell the old midrash of Rabbi Avram and his beautiful Torah. The rabbi lived by himself in a one-room, wood frame structure that held a table for studying, a bed for sleeping, and a stove for cooking.

“What else do I need?” he would ask his friends and students.

Shavuot: When G-d Gave Us the Torah

boy-with-torahThe holiday of Shavuot marks the giving of the Torah by G-d to the entire Jewish people. This occurred on Mount Sinai over 3,300 years ago. The imparting of the Torah and biblical commandments was more than just a historical date. It was a far-reaching spiritual event that touched the essence of all Jewish souls for all time. On Shavuot, the Jewish people agreed to adhere to the commandments of the Torah. Every year, Shavuot is a special time for us to strengthen our unique relationship with G-d.

SPARKS Raises Awareness on Capitol Hill

Rabbi Levi Shomtov of American friends of Lubavitch speaking. Seen in photo Rabbi Elie Abadie and Congressman Jerry NadlerSPARKS, an organization founded by Esther Kenigsberg with a mission to combat and raise awareness relating to women who suffer from postpartum depression  and related illnesses, recently paid tribute to several prominent business and religious leaders, including Rabbi Dr. Elie and Esti Abadie, Rafi and Ruthie Fouzailoff, Rabbi Joel Eisdorfer, Rabbi Naftali Horowitz, Susan Stone, Yossi Itzkowitz and Suri Krauss, in a tribute luncheon held in Washington, DC.

The SYclists Bike4Chai

You may have seen them in your neighborhood—weekend riders zipping down the street on their bicycles, exuding cadence, confidence and concentration. Riding groups across the country demonstrate that bike riding is not only good for the environment, but for physical and mental health as well. It provides the heart and circulatory system with a thorough workout, burning up to 700 calories per hour, and clears and calms the mind.

Leaders In Training Ski Trip

ski-tripHave you ever put yourself in your ancestors’ shoes? These brave men and women left home, started new lives from scratch in unknown countries, with unknown languages and not a penny in  their pockets.

SSC Rabbi Reconnects Israelis with Jewish Way of Life

Rabbi Moshe ArbivSince graduating from the Shehebar Sephardic Center in 2009, Rabbi Moshe Arbiv and his wife Leah have been busy serving the Israeli Jewish community in northern Philadelphia. While they have worked with Israelis in the area for several years, they began at Beit Harambam about 18 months ago.