WAVE L ENGTH. A Lesson Learned THE SIBLING. Dear young Shluchim and Shluchos, ב ה VOLUME 4, ISSUE 2 CHESHVAN 5777

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1 THE SIBLING WAVE L ENGTH ב ה Sponsored by the VOLUME 4, ISSUE 2 CHESHVAN 5777 A Lesson Learned Reb Ze ev Kitzes was a chossid of the Baal Shem Tov. He was a tzaddik in his own right. He was well respected by all who knew him. Reb Ze'ev had always longed to move to Eretz Yisrael. Finally, the day came when Reb Ze ev's wish was coming true: he was moving to Eretz Yisrael. He went to a yechidus in the Baal Shem Tov s private study. He wanted a bracha from the Baal Shem Tov for safe trip. The Baal Shem Tov gave him a bracha for a safe trip. The last words that the Baal Shem Tov said to Reb Ze ev before he left were, Remember Reb Ze ev, when one is asked a question, one must properly know how to answer the question." The Baal Shem Tov continued, Before speaking, it is important to think about your answer before you speak. Reb Ze ev didn't really understand why the Baal Shem Tov said that to him. Nevertheless, he kept these words near his heart, as these were the last words that his Rebbe would say to him. Nowadays, we can take a plane to our destination, and our trip is not so long. In those days it was a little different. Reb Ze ev traveled from the city of Mezibush to the port of Russia to board a ship to Eretz Yisrael. B"H his trip was off to a great start. He arrived at the port city and boarded the boat with no issues. The boat ride was very enjoyable for Reb Ze ev. Boats were not able to do a direct journey; they would make many stops along the way. (Continued on page 2) Dear young Shluchim and Shluchos, It has been a whole year. A whole year of what? Since last year Cheshvan I took over the Sibling Wave Length magazine here at Yaldei Shluchei HaRebbe. For me personally, it has been an incredible year. I learned so much doing this, and I hope you all learn so much every month by the new issue. Your s with questions, comments, answers to the questions, submissions and ideas have all been amazing. We love to get feedback from you. We hope you enjoy reading this month's issue. We asked you to answer either the question of the month from Elul or Tishrei. Check out the responses we got on page 7. We want to wish Moish a mazel tov on winning the (Continued on page 2) Win a $25 TOYS R US Gift Card! See page 7. 1

2 (Continued from page 1) They came to a certain port and they told all the passengers to disembark the boat because they were loading more supplies. The passengers were then given a chance to have their feet on solid ground for a few hours while they did the loading. A little while later, they announced that all the passengers should reboard the boat to continue on their journey. However, Reb Ze ev was learning and was oblivious to his surroundings. After a while Reb Ze ev looked up and saw that the ship had left. He was stuck on an island not knowing where he was. He asked a port worker when the next boat would be leaving. The next boat was not until Sunday morning. Reb Ze ev was worried how he would eat since he had no food with him. Who knew if there was any kosher food on this Island? How would he be able to daven without a minyan? Reb Ze ev was about to start crying as soon as he heard a loud, Shalom Aleichem Reb Yid! coming from behind him. Reb Ze ev could hardly control his emotion as he gave a big hug to this older Jewish person he just met. Reb Ze ev didn t even know his name he was just too excited. The older Yid introduced himself and told Reb Ze'ev about the big Jewish community on the island. He told him that there was kosher food, mikvahs to use, and shuls to daven in, and he invited Reb Ze ev to stay at his house. The host was very excited to have a chossid of the Baal Shem Tov staying in his home. Reb Ze ev could hardly control his emotion as he gave a big hug to this older Jewish person he just met. For the next few days the two learned and davened together. They both enjoyed each other's company very much. On Sunday morning, the host walked Reb Ze ev to the port. Just as Reb Ze ev was about to board his new boat, his host turned to him and asked, How are the Yidden where you come from dealing with Golus? Reb Ze ev replied, Baruch Hashem, Hashem does not forget about His Yidden. The boat was out of the harbor and on its way when Reb Ze ev suddenly remembered what his Rebbe told him. He felt very bad that he didn t listen to the last instruction that his Rebbe gave him. Why did he not think before he spoke? Why didn't he tell his host about the hardships that all the Yidden were having in Golus? At the next port, Reb Ze ev disembarked the boat and took a new boat back towards Mezibush. He came to Mezibush and saw the Baal Shem Tov. The Baal Shem Tov told Reb Ze ev, "Every day Avraham Avinu says to Hashem 'Hashem, why are you children still suffering in golus? When are you going to take your children out with the coming of Moshiach?' Hashem said back to Avraham, I don t make my Yidden suffer.' Avraham was not happy with that answer. Hashem then said to Avraham 'there is Reb Ze ev on his way to Eretz yisrael. Go and see for yourself if the Yidden are suffering in golus.'" It was there that Reb Ze ev realized what had happened and why was put there on that island. J Words~of~Wisdom J The Gemara tells us that the water during the Mabul was boiling hot. So how were the fish able to survive in the water and not die? We all know if you put a fish in hot water, surely it will die. The Gemara explains that Hashem made a miracle with the fish. Fish were the first living creature Hashem made. On the fifth day Hashem first created the fish in the sea, and then the birds in the sky. We know that on the sixth day Hashem created all the animals and people, so the first living beings on the earth were the fish. 2 The Gemara continues, the Hebrew word for fish is Dag. The gematria of the word "dag" is seven, and Shabbos is the seventh day of the week. This is why we should have fish on Shabbos. Because the fish were created before other animals, we have a fish course before we have a fleshig course at our Shabbos meal.

3 (Continued from page 1) 25$ gift card to TOYS R US. It is simple to join the raffle. All you have to do is your response to the question of the month to yossi@yaldei.com. Feel free to answer this month s question, and good luck with the raffle. In the month of Cheshvan the mabul started. We learn that Noach didn t enter the Teivah until the last moment, when the rain started. Noach had hoped that the people of the world would do teshuvah all along. They had 120 years to do teshuvah, but even at the last moments Noach still had hope. This did not happen, and because of that, Hashem sent the biggest mabul the world has ever seen. The only things that came out alive were the animals and the people aboard Did you know? RETT SYNDROME s Rett syndrome is a developmental disorder. Usually there is normal growth and then later on during childhood the development of the hands and the brain stop. the Teivah. Hashem made a miracle check out s Females are more prone to Rett syndrome. more about that. s Only 1% of Rett syndrom cases are inherited. the "Words of Wisdom" section (page 2) to learn Also in honor of the Mabul this month we have a fun game with animals. See how well you know the animals just by the hints (page 8). This month we speak to Yoav in the Sibling Spotlight (page 6). Yoav along with his family are on shlichus in Australia. Do you know how far away that is from New York? We hope you enjoy reading this issue of the Sibling Wave Length and hope you have a great month of Cheshvan. Very few cases of males have Retts. Mostly they are just spontaneous cases. s Cases of Rett syndrome usually start to become apparant at age six months. s People with Rett syndrome tend to have seizures. s There is currently no cure for Rett syndrome. Many people with of Rett syndrome live normal lives into their late 40 s or into their 50 s. s Because there are so few cases of Rett syndrome in the world, it is hard for scientist to study it and come up with a cure. Yossi & the SibClix Team 3

4 g n i m o c p U... f O h t n Mo חשון Rebbe Rashab Fled Lubavitch חשון ט ז As World War Two was starting, German troops began advancing towards Russia. The Rebbe Rashab along with his family fled the city of Lubavitch for their safety. While fleeing, they stopped in the city of Orlo. It took them three days to get to Orlo. The Rebbe Rashab stated in Orlo that his family had been in Lubavitch for the last 102 years, and his great-grandfather the Mitteler Rebbe settled there. He continued how the word "yesod", which means foundation, has a gematria of 102. Lubavitch is the foundation of Chabad Chassidus. The Rebbe Rashab settled in Rostov where it became the capital of Chabad chassidus for the next nine years. The Day the Mabul Started חשון י ז The rain started with a light drizzle. It soon would turn into a big flood the biggest flood ever. It flooded the whole world, even higher than the highest mountain. Hashem did this because the people of the world were not treating others kindly or with respect. Only very few people survived the mabul, and they all were in the teivah. They were Noach, his wife, their three sons and their wives. For forty days and forty nights it rained on the world. On the teivah were seven males and seven females of the kosher animals. There was one female and one male of the treif animals. A year and ten days later, after all the water dried up, Noach left the teivah. The Rebbe Rashab's Birthday חשון כ 4 The Rebbe Rashab was born at nine AM in the city of Lubavitch, to his parents Reb Shmuel (Maharash) and Rebbetzin Rivkah. Rebbetzin Rivkah told a story how a year prior she had a dream where her mother (Rebbetzin Sheina) and her Zaidy (Mitteler Rebbe) came to her. She was instructed that she and her husband must write a Sefer Torah. Just before the dream was over, the Mitteler Rebbe told Rebbetzin Rivkah, A fine son you will have, and do not forget my name. She then woke up. The Maharash would only let the Sefer Torah be written on parchment from an animal that was shechted in a kosher way. The Rashab was given his name Shalom Dovber. He was named Dovber after his Elter Zaidy.

5 AN O PEN D00 R An open door is where you have a place to comment, ask questions, or share stories with your fellow shluchim. To submit, please yossi@yaldei.com. Dear Sibling Wave Length magazine, I wanted to tell you about a situation that happened to me in shul this past month. We were in shul on Shabbos day, and a new family came. They had a daughter named Talia who was my age. She asked who that was, as she pointed to my little brother across from the kids room. I answered that it is my little brother named Mendy. I could tell that she was a little afraid of him, not in a mean way. Mendy looks a little different than most boys who are six. I could tell she was scared to interact with him, and I knew this could be a teaching lesson. We went over to Mendy and I introduced her to Mendy. She saw that he was a regular boy of six. After a few minutes we started to play with Mendy and his blocks. Talia had a good time playing with him. I saw this as a learning lesson. Talia wasn't afraid of him because she was mean. I realized that Mendy and Talia were playing so nicely together. She was never given the chance to interact with someone different than her. I am sure that she learned a valuable lesson that day and will judge each person not based on what they look like in the future. Chanala age 12 Ed. note: Hey Chanala, that's incredible! You took a great opportunity to teach someone a lesson. You should be so proud. As you said, your brother is just like us. Glad to hear that your friend will judge people not based on their looks but as them as a person. Keep up the good work. 5

6 Sibling Spotlight What is your name and how old are you? Yoav, and I'm 9 years old. Where is your family on shlichus? Malvern, Australia What are some special things about your city/state that you live in? People here in Australia are very friendly. In Australia, we have kangaroos and koalas and we get to see penguins at the beach. There are lots of beautiful places to visit like Phillip Island, and there are also beautiful palm trees and lots of beaches near us. Tell us a little bit about your responsibilities as a shliach. I hand out important papers in shul, I help with the programs, and I try and set a good example. What is the best part of being a Shliach? I get to help my father. What are some of the challenges of being a shliach? Since I don't live so close to my school, I can't go to the special programs on Shabbos, and sometimes I miss out during the week. You have a brother with special needs. What's his name and how old is he? Mendy, and he is 3 years old. Tell us a little bit about your brother. What are his likes and dislikes? Mendy is very cute. He loves putting everything in his mouth, and gets very excited when I play on my drums. He loves music and is often very happy. I love it when he comes to shul with me, and he loves his mummy, and I love cuddling him. What bothers you about having a brother with special needs? Sometimes it's a bit annoying when my mother has to take Mendy to his therapist appointments when it's the school holidays. What do you do about it? I stay with my father. What do you think people without special needs siblings in their family need to know about having a sibling with special needs? That some people are different than other people but we have to treat everyone with respect. What is your pet peeve? Going to bed and having a rest before a late night. Finish this sentence: I could not live without Reading. What is your favorite food? Pizza and sushi What is the best lesson you ever learned? To treat people with respect. If you could meet any person from Jewish history, who would it be? Moshe Rabbeinu. What are three words to describe you? Awesome, fun and loveable. Where will you be in 20 years? IY"H in Yerushalayim with Moshiach. 6

7 YOU BE THE AUTHOR! We asked you to please reply to the Elul or the Tishrei question, as there was a delay with the printing of the Elul issue. Below are the questions and the answers we received. What is one way you make your special needs sibling happy? Hi, I am Elisheva. I make my little brother happy by putting on shows. He likes it a lot when me and all my sister and brothers put on shows for him. His favorite is puppet shows. We like to see him happy and it makes us, his brothers and sisters, happy. My name is Shimi. I try to make my special brother happy all the time. He loves it when I read him stories. He likes books with lots of pictures. I try hard to read him books even if the words are too hard for me. My brother doesn't like it when it's loud. He is happiest when it's nice and quiet. That is why he likes reading because it is a calm activity. What did you do this month to make the Rebbe proud? Hi, I'm Chaya. To make the Rebbe proud this month, I went along with my Mommy and Tatty to give people in our city honey cakes for Rosh Hashana. I also davened extra hard for a good year. I am sure I made my parents and the Rebbe proud this month. Hi, I'm Moish. This past month, Tishrei, started a new year in our calendar. To make the Rebbe proud, I went with my Tatty to blow shofar for a few different Yidden. I love going with my Tatty on mivtzoim to do new mitzvahs with people. This month's question: You are in a public place and you see your special sibling getting a bit frustrated. You know they will get into a temper tantrum if the situation is not resolved. What do you do? Please all your responses to yossi@yaldei.com. Due to space not all entries will be printed but every entry will be entered into the raffle for a $25 Toys R Us gift card. 7

8 FUN PAGES WHICH ANIMAL AM I? As we know, the Mabul happened on Yud Zayin Cheshvan. How well do you know Hashem s animals? Write the matching animal from the word bank next to each clue. s I am the heaviest land animal in the world. My brain is also the biggest of all the mammals. There are two main places where I come from: Africa and Asia. The ones from Africa have larger ears. Who am I? s I live in a group called a pride. The females do 90% of the hunting. The males have a mane around their neck. I am known as the king of the jungle. Who am I? s I love to jump from tree to tree. Not all of us have tails, but most of us do. We love to eat bananas. People think that gorillas are just like us but bigger, but that's false. Who am I? s I eat lots of grass. I am kosher to eat. I also give you milk to eat your cereal with. Who am I? s I am from Africa. I have the longest neck from all the animals. I am a kosher animal but we don t know where to schecht me. Who am I? s I am a bird but I don t fly. I don t have wings, instead I have flippers that help me swim. I live in Antarctica and huddle together to stay warm. I eat fish and drink salt water. Who am I? s M any people have me as a pet. There are over 340 types of me. I can smell much better than a person. Sometimes you can find one of us with a police officer. Who am I? s I am known as the smartest animal. I live in the ocean. I have a blowhole on the top of my head that lets me breathe. I like to play a lot and do tricks. I communicate with my friends by making noises such as clicking and whistling. Who am I? s I come from China. I look like a nice and cute animal, but I am part of the bear family. I love to eat bamboo; it takes me 12 hours a day to eat. My skin is white and black. Who am I? s I have a hard shell on my back that I can go into if I feel a threat from another animal. I move very slowly. I can live both in water and on land. I am a reptile. Who am I? WORD BANK MONKEY PENGUIN Yaldei Shluchei HaRebbe Merkos Suite Kingston Avenue, Suite 302 Brooklyn, NY COW DOLPHIN LION ELEPHANT TURTLE GIRAFFE Yossi Smoller SibClix Coordinator yossi@yaldei.com PANDA DOG