Excerpted from a Cleveland Jewish News article by Jane Kaufman

The program aims to nurture a passion for Judaism and Jewish learning among students in a narrow niche: those who are inspired deeply by Judaism but who decide not to pursue a gap year in Israel or attend a yeshiva.

…

His intent for the program is to match students with mentors remotely or, if possible, at their colleges and universities to continue one-on-one Torah study, to offer weekly webinars to the entire cohort on philosophy and to offer smaller, interactive web-based study for groups on more focused topics. In addition, each participant is expected to take a deep dive into a single mitzvah, such as keeping kosher or visiting the sick, and to design and produce a capstone project by the end of the semester.

https://www.clevelandjewishnews.com/news/local_news/rabbi-friedner-pilots-torah-institute-for-college-students-seeking-deeper/article_4e5dedf8-518a-11ea-8f64-53bc65e0d9bd.html

From Heights Observer article by Mike Cook

Saundra Berry, a longtime University Heights resident with a wealth of work experience, is set to fill the city’s vacant council seat.

After a formal vote by UH City Council, Berry will be sworn in during a special meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 12, at 6:30 p.m., at the Cleveland Heights-University Heights Board of Education building.

Reminder that due to the snow, University Heights has a city-wide overnight parking ban even if you previously received permission to park overnight in the street. As of this posting, 11pm Sunday, the ban is in effect indefinitely.

Article from Cleveland Jewish News

In the wake of the violent attack in Monsey, the Cuyahoga County Police Chiefs Association sent the following letter to the community.

A mitzvah campaign in the memory of Rabbi Yossi Bialo, of blessed memory.

Every day, we say Tehillim for those we know, love, and care for. And in times of pain, anguish, and affliction, Klal Yisroel comes together and besieges Hashem with millions of chapters of Tehillim for those we don’t even know. Because we are one.

It’s high time Klal Yisroel come together and commit to saying a chapter of tehillim on a daily basis. Let’s daven for each other. Proactively. Preventatively. Passionately. And with love. Because we are one.

Together, bring Mashiach!

Our suggestion, in consultation with Daas Torah, is to say the shortest chapter, 117, daily or more frequently. This chapter is full of hope, praise, and thanks: hope for the time of Mashiach; praise for Hashem for everything He has done; and thanks to Hashem for He only does good.

In order to give this campaign momentum, simply visit www.tehillimforgood.com/one every time you complete a chapter of Tehillim or do a good deed in the merit of the continued good for Klal Yisroel. We will implement a counter shortly you sign up via email (at www.tehillimforgood.com). We will also create a WhatsApp group shortly.

To sign up for Mishnayos for Rabbi Yossi Bialo, please visit https://www.lzechernishmas.com/signup.php?id=7118.

A mitzvah campaign in the memory of Rabbi Yossi Bialo, of blessed memory.

Every day, we say Tehillim for those we know, love, and care for. And in times of pain, anguish, and affliction, Klal Yisroel comes together and besieges Hashem with millions of chapters of Tehillim for those we don’t even know. Because we are one.

It’s high time Klal Yisroel come together and commit to saying a chapter of tehillim on a daily basis. Let’s daven for each other. Proactively. Preventatively. Passionately. And with love. Because we are one.

Together, bring Mashiach!

Our suggestion, in consultation with Daas Torah, is to say the shortest chapter, 117, daily or more frequently. This chapter is full of hope, praise, and thanks: hope for the time of Mashiach; praise for Hashem for everything He has done; and thanks to Hashem for He only does good.

In order to give this campaign momentum, simply visit www.tehillimforgood.com/one every time you complete a chapter of Tehillim or do a good deed in the merit of the continued good for Klal Yisroel. We will implement a counter shortly you sign up via email (at www.tehillimforgood.com). We will also create a WhatsApp group shortly.

To sign up for Mishnayos for Rabbi Yossi Bialo, please visit https://www.lzechernishmas.com/signup.php?id=7118.

Starting and ending at Legacy Village, the 2019 Light After Dark Menorah Parade and Festival will cover approximately nearly 20 miles and pass through Lyndhurst, South Euclid, Beachwood, University Heights, Cleveland Heights and touch Cleveland near University Circle.

The parade will include public-facing speakers playing lively Chanukah music, Lolly the Trolley, a police escort, media, and a large portion of pirsumei nisa.

The first half of the parade will see the expected dozens of vehicles with Menorahs and lively music pass through Jewish residential neighborhoods in Beachwood and University Heights including Brentwood, Timberlane, Green Road near Synagogue Row, and East Carroll. The second half of the parade will see the procession continue through Cleveland Heights including Staunton, Bendemeer and South Taylor Road.

The parade will wind its way back to Legacy Village where there will be a Menorah lighting and celebration open to the community from 6-7pm.

Parade organizers are still looking for families on Bendemeer to put “The Parade Will Pass Through Here” signs on their treelawns. Please email clemenorahparade@gmail.com with your address and a sign will be placed by Thursday. Also, as of this posting, there are only a couple of spots left to participate in the parade but if you’re interested, visit www.clemenorahparade.com ASAP. If you’re interested in joining the Menorah lighting and celebration afterwards, just show up with your Chanukah spirit.

The Jewish Federation of Cleveland announced that $33,102,355 has been raised by more than 13,000 donors representing 9,869 gifts in the 2020 Campaign for Jewish Needs, the annual fundraising campaign that serves Jewish Cleveland and the global community. The grand total was revealed at the Campaign Closing Celebration on December 11 at Fuchs Mizrachi School, one of the 15 local beneficiary agencies that receive funding from the Campaign.

For more information about the Jewish Federation of Cleveland and the Campaign for Jewish Needs, visit www.jewishcleveland.org.

The status of the eruv can be checked by calling 216-219-5713 (starting tomorrow), or through www.bees-eruv.org, or our Facebook site.

The eruv has been covered in the CJN (here and here). There is also lots of information on the www.bees-eruv.org website.

(Photo credit Jane Kaufman/CJN from article linked above.)

Package UPC 

016000196100

Better if Used by Date

06SEP2020KC

From www.generalmills.com/flour.

On September 16, 2019, General Mills announced a voluntary recall of five-pound bags of its Gold Medal Unbleached All Purpose Flour with a better if used by date of September 6, 2020. Consumers are reminded that flour is not a ‘ready to eat’ ingredient.

Throughout the region, CEI currently has 22,222 customers without power. This is down from 61,000 last evening, and down from 27,000 around 11:00AM.

Additional hazards and broken poles, along with a lot of tree damage, have been identified.

All crews continue to work 16 hours on with 8 hours rest. You may see vehicles from Ohio Edison, Penelec, Penn Power and various contractors working throughout the area. Crews work to restore critical facilities (911 / hospitals / police / fire / etc) then focus attention on outages impacting the largest number of customers. These crews are working as quickly as safe work practices allow.

Complete restoration is anticipated by 4:00pm Monday. Estimates provided on First Energy’s website for restoration reflect this time, though many customers will be restored sooner. If your whole street / block / neighborhood has an outage, you’ll probably have power restored sooner than if your house is the only one on your street without power.

Please treat all downed wires as live and dangerous.

If you have not already reported your outage to First Energy, please do so now. Call 888-544-4877 or log in at https://www.firstenergycorp.com/outages_help/Report_Power_Outages.html

We appreciate your patience as FirstEnergy continues to clear hazard orders and work to restore power as safely as possible.

Sincerely,

Mayor Dylan Brennan

We as the frum community need to realize the opportunity we have in the City of University Heights to make a kiddush Hashem. There is no other public pool that avails itself to the sensitivities of the frum community and we need to do our utmost to ensure it stays that way. This year the pool opened its doors to nonresidents. Families need to follow the policy of not dropping their young children unattended and maintaining proper middos at the pool to the employees. The policy is that children unattended need to be 11 years old.

We as a community have a wonderful relationship with the city and it should just continue.

Michele Weiss and Mark Wiseman
City Council University Heights

Below is information about the status of the Cleveland Heights initiative I’ve been working on for over two years.  This initiative has broad based support from the community at large as well as within our kehilla including both sides of the political spectrum and ranking members of both local parties.  Many in our neighborhood already signed the petition.

It will be on the ballot.  The question at hand is whether certain politicians will successfully muddy the waters by creating purposeful confusion for election day by voting to put a competing amendment on the same ballot. It’s ugly politics that does not speak well of our City. That decision is being made on Monday. Please find the below information helpful in sending communications to council as well as consider joining us Monday night wearing green.

Feel free to contact me for more information or better yet, go to our website at citizensforanelectedmayor.com.

Susan Efroymson

Hello Citizens for an Elected Mayor (CEM) community!

We’re in the homestretch to get our initiative on the November ballot.  As you may have heard, five of our City Council members have formed a secretive PAC designed to oppose Citizens for an Elected Mayor. They’ve also rushed forward with a plan to add their own competing ballot measure to the November ballot, one that won’t create a full-time elected mayor, but will instead strengthen the City Manager’s position.

Like many in our community, we are concerned that having two amendments on the ballot will create confusion for voters. Our City Council members should listen to the will of the people before proceeding with their own preferred plan. Voters deserve a clear vote on what form of government their city ought to have.

You can still participate charidy.com/ydtcle.

A vaccine clinic for the MMR vaccine will be held this Thursday, 4/18 at the local MinuteClinic inside CVS located at 14440 Cedar Rd., Cleveland, OH 44121 (corner of Cedar and Green).

Date: Thursday, 4/18
Times: 9:00-12:00 pm and 5:00-8:00 pm
Location: MinuteClinic inside CVS, located at 14440 Cedar Rd., Cleveland, OH 44121 (corner of Cedar and Green)

Please bring your insurance cards and photo IDs.

MinuteClinic is only able to administer vaccines to patients 18 months and older with most major insurances and to patients 19 years and older with Caresource and other state Medicaid plans. Patients 18 years or younger with Caresource or Medicaid will need to receive the vaccine at their health care providers’ office or at the local Health Department.

A vaccine clinic for the MMR vaccine will be held this Thursday, 4/18 at the local MinuteClinic inside CVS located at 14440 Cedar Rd., Cleveland, OH 44121 (corner of Cedar and Green).

Date: Thursday, 4/18
Times: 9:00-12:00 pm and 5:00-8:00 pm
Location: MinuteClinic inside CVS, located at 14440 Cedar Rd., Cleveland, OH 44121 (corner of Cedar and Green)

Please bring your insurance cards and photo IDs.

MinuteClinic is only able to administer vaccines to patients 18 months and older with most major insurances and to patients 19 years and older with Caresource and other state Medicaid plans. Patients 18 years or younger with Caresource or Medicaid will need to receive the vaccine at their health care providers’ office or at the local Health Department.

A vaccine clinic for the MMR vaccine will be held this Thursday, 4/18 at the local MinuteClinic inside CVS located at 14440 Cedar Rd., Cleveland, OH 44121 (corner of Cedar and Green).

Date: Thursday, 4/18
Times: 9:00-12:00 pm and 5:00-8:00 pm
Location: MinuteClinic inside CVS, located at 14440 Cedar Rd., Cleveland, OH 44121 (corner of Cedar and Green)

Please bring your insurance cards and photo IDs.

MinuteClinic is only able to administer vaccines to patients 18 months and older with most major insurances and to patients 19 years and older with Caresource and other state Medicaid plans. Patients 18 years or younger with Caresource or Medicaid will need to receive the vaccine at their health care providers’ office or at the local Health Department.

Dear Families,

Measles, a highly contagious respiratory disease characterized by a high fever and rash, has made a resurgence in the United States in 2019. Unlike previous outbreaks which have been very localized, this year’s outbreaks have been in 7 distinct areas in the country from New York to California and most recently in the Detroit, Michigan area, making the likelihood of spread that much greater. Thought to have been eradicated as recently as 2000, in just the first 3 months of this year, over 400 cases have been identified nationwide compared to just 86 cases in the entire 2016. Measles is one of the most contagious of viral infections with 90% of unprotected individuals likely to contract it. With increased travel likely over the next few weeks because of the Easter and Passover holidays, the potential for patients of our practice and others in this area to come in contact with someone with measles is that much greater. There are many recommendations floating around the internet, some from lay individuals with unfortunate exposure to the disease. After discussion with personal contacts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and local infectious disease experts, we have prepared a measles exposure and vaccination guideline for our patients and their families. We will revise it as more information becomes available.

What is the history of measles? Measles is a viral infection that was first described in the 9th century. In the decade before the first measles vaccine was developed in 1963, almost every child contracted measles by age 15 with an average of 3-4 million cases each year. In the 1950s, per year, there were an average of 500 deaths, 1000 cases of encephalitis (brain swelling) and 48,000 hospitalizations. Widespread vaccination with the measles vaccine and, in 1971, with the combined measles, mumps and rubella vaccine (MMRI), led to an 80% reduction in cases by 1981. A second vaccination dose was added to the schedule in 1989 and by 2000, measles was declared eradicated in the United States although it continued to spread in the international community.

Why is this year different? Because of global travel and an unfortunate and untrue campaign in the anti-vaccine community to identify the MMR with autism, there have been sporadic outbreaks in the United States over the past decade. Because measles is so contagious, it can very rapidly spread in close knit communities and areas of close personal contact. In the past, there have been outbreaks in the Amish, Micronesian and Fillipino communities as well as in travelers to the Disney theme park in California and attendees at the FIFO World Cup finals in Brazil. This year, the largest outbreaks have been in Orthodox Jewish communities in New York, New Jersey and Michigan. Health authority officials have been quick to respond, declaring a health emergency in one NY county with a large unvaccinated population. Religious authorities in outbreak areas have responded with an unprecedented and largely successful push to vaccinate all children. While there has been no measles outbreak in the greater Cleveland area, Cleveland area religious schools have also taken a strong pro vaccination stance.

Who is at risk:

• Children and adolescents who have received 2 dose of MMR: These children are at little risk. The CDC considers all children who have received 2 doses of MMR to be protected even when exposed to an active case of measles. MMR is typically given at 12 months and at 4 or 5 years prior to kindergarten. If you child has received 2 doses of MMR, there should be no worry about travelling anywhere in the continental US or abroad. In our practice, almost all children over the age of 6 have received 2 doses of MMR.
• Children who have received only 1 dose of MMR: Because there is likely to be widespread travel in and out of Cleveland over the Easter and Passover season, we are recommending a second dose of MMR to this category of children. The second dose can be administered as early as 30 days after the first. Please call the office to schedule a medical assistant appointment.
• Children under 1 year: MMR is not as effective under one year. The CDC and local health authorities are not recommending giving an early MMR to most Cleveland children. However, if you know you are going to an area with an active outbreak (such as Rockland, County NY or Detroit, Michigan), our CDC contact is recommending giving an early MMR vaccine between 6-12 months. Please be aware that such children will need to get 3 MMR vaccines for permanent protection.
• Adults born between 1957-1989: Adults born during this period are likely to have received only one MMR. While there is little evidence of waning immunity over time, one dose of MMR is only protective 93% of the time. Unless you have documentation of a second MMR, adults born during these years should receive a second MMR. As with Tdap and influenza, we are happy to provide an MMR to adult parents of our patients. Please call the office to schedule a medical assistant appointment.
• Adults who want to check their immunization status prior to vaccination: The CDC is not recommending this step. If you have only received one dose of MMR, you should get a second dose. For those who would prefer to know their immunization status, we are happy to help. Please schedule a brief measles titer visit and we will draw your blood and report your results.

What clinical signs should I be looking for? Measles looks like many other viral infections with a high fever and a rash and red eyes. Remember the old adage. If you hear hoof beats outside your window, it could be a zebra but it is likely to be a horse. If your child has been vaccinated with two doses of MMR, it is not necessary for him/her to be seen with a fever and a rash. Conjunctivitis or red, draining eyes, is almost never caused by measles. If you are unsure about what to do, we are happy to speak to you (216.291.9210) and to see you in the office.