Silver Spring, MD (Kemp Mill neighborhood)
Website: ShredSupport.com
Email: Shred4U2@gmail.com (contacts:  Dina and Amy)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shredsupport

“Shred Support is a shredding service located in the Kemp Mill neighborhood of Silver Spring, MD that is committed to the employment of people with disabilities.  When you use Shred Support, your documents will be confidentially destroyed and recycled.  Our shred team is friendly and professional. Just ask us for a reference at any time or see our testimonials.”

My Personal Connection:

I know the two founders, Uriel and Jacob, from our summers together in the Tikvah Program at Camp Ramah in New England.  This Jewish summer camp includes campers with intellectual and developmental disabilities and offers a vocational training program.  Uriel and Jacob, two talented 20-somethings with Down Syndrome, have participated in the vocational training program for over 5 years, where they worked in the camp’s mail, package and fax center.  Outside of camp, Jacob has worked at a UPS store and Uriel at the University of Maryland Hillel in their food service program.  I have continued to be in touch with both young men and their families as they have explored longer term employment.  Both also participate in the camping movements year round virtual vocational training and socialization program which was created during the COVID pandemic.

From the Website:

It’s estimated that one third of the workforce has been working from home since March 2020. Couple that with all who have used the time at home to sort & organize…and that’s a lot of documents piling up!  Shred Support is here to help! Your documents will be confidentially destroyed and recycled (yes, Shred Support is more than just friendly – it’s Eco-Friendly too).

Just 37 percent of working-age people with disabilities have a job, compared to 77 percent of people without disabilities. This staggering statistic represents over 12.5 million working-age people with disabilities who want to work and who are a valuable asset to the workforce.  Shred Support aims to smash that statistic by employing adults with disabilities who are ready to get to work and be a productive member of the community.  

Founders and owners Jacob and Uriel have a track record of reliability & exceptional work ethic. They have each been involved in self-directed programming since 2018 and bring these qualities & professionalism to each task.  

How Does Shred Support Work?

-Fill out a work request form and someone will reply within 2-3 business days.  A Shred Support Specialist will be assigned to you and we will set up a drop-off date and address.

-Bring your paper in a shred-support bag, your own bag, or a box to the drop-off point on the assigned date. (We cannot shred folders, CDs, plastic envelopes, binder clips, adhesive-backed labels, polaroid pictures).

-We will weigh the shred order so we can determine the cost. (Pricing:  $1.50 per pound for new customers and $1.25 for returning customers)

-Your shredding will be destroyed confidentially and then recycled.

-We will send you your invoice which will also be your confirmation that the shred job has been completed.

Lessons Learned/Challenges:

-It has been challenging finding similar disability run shredding businesses with whom to consult; that said we found one in Houston and the mom who runs it was incredibly helpful.

-Need for business and legal advice regarding business structure and joint proprietorship

-Measuring success and becoming profitable (plans include feasibility study and 5-year business plan).  

-Consider seeking investors

-Importance of maintaining working equipment

-We would like to have a space for Uriel and Jacob to work together – in an ideal world outside of both homes.  However, Covid is still too prevalent, so we are hopeful for a space in one of the homes so they can at least work together.

– We would like to explore options for better marketing – maybe a college student intern.  This would include social media as well as targeted emails.

– Once we have a bigger space, we would like to invest in larger and more reliable equipment.

– Sometime in the next year, we would like to seek out business contracts.  We would purchase locked shred containers that offices would drop their “to-be’shredded” papers into and then they would call for a pick-up when the container becomes full.  We would have a different pay structure for clients with contracts with us.

Read more

Original Article Published in the Jerusalem Post

There was something for everybody as Kosherfest returns after a pandemic-induced break.

NEW YORK — Kosherfest, the trade show of the kosher food industry, returned to its longtime home at the Meadowlands Exposition Center in Secaucus, New Jersey, after being put on hold last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The two-day gathering, held in a large exhibition space just six miles from Manhattan’s Times Square, brings together the various important players in the kosher food industry, including food and beverage manufacturers of all sizes and numbers of years in business, store owners, caterers, restaurant owners, providers of kosher travel packages, chefs, labeling, packaging and shipping companies, food writers and bloggers and others.

Attendees all shared an interest in sampling new and classic food and beverage offerings, made potentially beneficial and profitable business connections, and accumulated as many free samples as possible — food samples, pens and tote bags.

Kosherfest 2021 offered a glimpse of what a major trade show could look like as the world slowly comes out of the restrictions of the pandemic. A food show with edibles to sample would need to adhere to a high standard of safety.

Signs at the entrance noted “Face Masks Strongly Recommended” regardless of vaccination status, and also offered “sampling guidelines,” assuring attendees that “Kosherfest exhibitors are prioritizing health and safety by following these basic food sampling guidelines,” including facemasks, gloves and tongs.

The entrance to Kosherfest 2021. (credit: HOWARD BLAS)
The entrance to Kosherfest 2021. (credit: HOWARD BLAS)

Despite the precautions set in place, the guidelines were not followed by everyone. Once attendees passed through this year’s particularly tight security, some were not wearing masks or gloves – and neither were some exhibitors. Few seemed mindful of social distancing conventions.

WHILE MORE than 300 exhibitors lined the aisles at the convention center, these numbers pale in comparison to pre-pandemic shows. “We are missing 61 companies, including more than 30 from Israel,” said organizer Menachem Lubinsky, president and CEO of LUBICOM Marketing Consulting, founding publisher of Kosher Today and a leading authority on the kosher food market.

But Lubinsky, a veteran of the kosher food industry, took an optimistic view and was not discouraged.

“There are lots of new products here and lots of business is being done,” he said. “It was important for the show to go on because the industry continues to grow at such a phenomenal pace in the US.“

We now have a whole network of independent kosher food stores and supermarkets, stores that are 20,000-50,000 square feet that used to be reserved for the national chains. Now we have independent kosher supermarkets that are doing that. Demographics are driving the growth of the kosher food industry here.”

This was Lubinsky’s 32nd year organizing Kosherfest.“When we first started the show, a place like Lakewood [NJ] had 17,000 kosher consumers; today it has 90,000. One distributor said he used to make one trip a week out there. Now, he does almost two a day. So, I feel good about the show, I feel this is going to be only the prelude to a much greater event next year – and hopefully Covid will be further on the decline, and international travel will pick up.”

Ben Aviva, CEO of Churros Original from Kiryat Malachi was one of the lucky foreign businesses to make it to Kosherfest.“

My father saw churros at a mall in Spain 15 years ago,” said Aviva, who noticed that kosher churros are not yet carried in the US. Aviva felt that interest in his fried dough product grew because of the pandemic. “People didn’t want to deep freeze at home – it is too much headache. This takes five minutes from freezer to the oven to eating.”

Sharon Feldman Vazan of the KLBD (Kosher London Beth Din) said that she had no trouble getting to the show, despite coming from Europe. She and her colleagues acted quickly once travel restrictions were lifted on November 8 for fully vaccinated European travelers. Feldman Vazan reports feeling “so thrilled” to be at the show which was “a better event than expected.”

JENNIFER KIM, Director of Business Development for the Government of Israel, currently works in New York at Israel’s Economic Mission to the US as part of the Foreign Trade Administration at the Israel Ministry of the Economy. She is tasked with promoting trade and investment between Israel and the US.

Kim had an especially important role at this year’s show, given travel issues for many Israeli companies. Lubinsky reports that the Israel pavilion traditionally houses 25 booths, but most were unable to attend. At this year’s show, Kim fielded various inquiries from people interested in doing business with Israel.

For example, three Dutch businessmen approached her seeking assistance in importing a range of Israeli kosher products for their catering company. They were appreciative and cautiously optimistic that Kim would follow through on her promise to connect them with key Israeli businesses.

As the name suggests, Kosherfest is equal parts kosher food trade show, and eating and mingling festival for anyone even remotely connected to the kosher food industry. Spending several hours at Kosherfest walking down the long aisles is both tiring and satisfying.

Brooklyn’s Flaum Appetizing offered pizza slices, humus and pita, cheese and samples of minestrone and butternut squash soup to all who stopped by their booths. Promised Land beverages occupied booth 414, right next to Fins Import, offering samples of anchovy bondarilla with olives and cold smoked anchovy fillets.

Yaakov Charlap, owner of Matzot Charlap from Bet Shemesh, was giving out samples of shmurah (guarded) matzah. For those wondering why a matzah company was reminding people about Passover when it is more than five months away, he playfully stated: “Kosherfest was canceled last year; Pessah still came – and we are the best tasting matzah in Israel!”

Matzot Charlap from Bet Shemesh at Kosherfest. (credit: HOWARD BLAS)
Matzot Charlap from Bet Shemesh at Kosherfest. (credit: HOWARD BLAS)

TZIPPORAH ROTHKOPF, who converted to Judaism in 1980 and operates Seoul House, a Korean café near her home in Jerusalem’s Old City, was giving out samples of kimchi and other kosher Korean products. A few booths away, several other Koreans were offering tastes of K-BBQ Sauce, authentic Korean BBQ sauce which “can be used in various dishes such as bulgogi, galbi or japchae.”

Latonya King, of King Preferred, offered samples of dairy and pareve cake made from her cake mixes (“my personal favorite is our 4th flavor – banana pudding pound cake”). She describes herself as the first “Black kosher certified bakery mix business in the world,” and is proud to be using an ancient family recipe.

King Preferred booth at Kosherfest 2021. (credit: HOWARD BLAS)
King Preferred booth at Kosherfest 2021. (credit: HOWARD BLAS)

David Guetta, a partner at California-based Mulami, was offering samples of artisanal charcuterie including salami Milano salt and pepper. He started the company five years ago using a method of fermenting and drying salami used for more than 1,000 years. “Growing up, I loved salami and couldn’t find it. I got obsessed and tried making it,” Guetta reports.

Mulami booth at Kosherfest. (credit: HOWARD BLAS)
Mulami booth at Kosherfest. (credit: HOWARD BLAS)

There was also wine and liqueur available for sampling. Marushika Osman of KAS Spirits in Mahopac, New York, explains why she and her husband started KAS Krupnikas, a sweet alcoholic drink distilled with local honey and a secret blend of spices. “I lost my mind!” she joked before explaining that when her husband lost his job, she encouraged him to turn his hobby of making alcohol using his Lithuanian family’s recipe into a business.

There were also non-food items on display – kitchen appliances labeling machines and companies offering business loans. Sherry Wynograd of Hillside, New York got very excited when she walked past the Shabbulb booth, displaying a special light bulb which it is permissible to adjust for brightness on Shabbat. “It is the greatest thing ever. I got it for all of my kids!”

Read more

Original Article Published on the JNS

“The team has the name Israel on its jersey. It is important that they will know what Israel looks like—the culture, the people, the history, the food. It will give them a nice taste of what it looks like and feels like to be here,” said Guy Niv, a cyclist with Team Israel Start-Up Nation.

Guy Niv

When Team Israel Start-Up Nation cyclist Guy Niv connects with his fellow riders, it usually requires flying from Ben-Gurion International Airport to Europe or some other far-off destination for a training ride or a race. This past Friday, Niv had a different airport experience—he greeted his fellow riders at Ben-Gurion they arrived for their first full-team visit to Israel since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic and the recent opening of the gates to tourism in the country.

“It is super-nice to welcome everyone to Israel—and to go to training from home with no flights, no packing,” he declared.

The 27-year-old, who lives in Atzmon in Israel’s north, said “my girlfriend took me to the airport to meet the team.” Niv spoke with JNS from the team bus as they headed to Jerusalem for a packed weekend of festivities that will include some riding, but mostly touring, bonding, meet-and-greets with Israelis and a Sunday reception for the team at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem.

Israel Start-Up Nation—its first professional cycling team—was established in 2015 and includes riders from Israel and abroad. The team began to compete at a higher level when Sylvan Adams joined as a co-owner alongside Ron Baron. The team has competed in its first Grand Tour, joined the WorldTour (the highest level of professional cycling) and secured a spot in the 2020 Tour de France. In 2021, Israeli rider Itamar Einhorn defeated ex-world champion Peter Sagan to claim the first WorldTour victory by an Israeli.

Adams is impressed with his team and not at all disappointed that they won’t spend the majority of their time on intensive rides. “This will be a more relaxed camp—more of a tourism and bonding camp—and will permit the team to experience some of the marvels of Israel,” he said. Israel Start-Up Nation is currently ranked in the top 10 in the world for the first time in its history and enjoyed 17 victories this season.

Riding legend Chris Froome, 36, who has won the Tour de France four times in addition to other prestigious bike races, is looking forward to being in Israel and doing some riding.

Four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froom greets some of his younger fans during a stop outside of Jerusalem by members of Team Israel Start-Up Nation. Source: Twitter.

Back in the country since his last race in Spain, Niv recounted that he hiked in the desert with friends and celebrated his brother’s recent marriage, and now looks forward to spending time with his teammates. Now, it’s back to training-related events. He reported that there will only be two or three team rides; he and his Israeli teammates are scheduled to lead one in the Golan Heights.

Niv sees this trip as an important opportunity for his fellow riders to truly experience Israel. “The team has the name Israel on its jersey. It is important that they will know what Israel looks like—the culture, the people, the history, the food. It will give them a nice taste of what it looks like and feels like to be here.”

He noted that while his fellow riders are “athletes, not politicians,” they are often asked about the situation in Israel. “The best way for them to answer is to be here a bit and see. They will have a chance to form their own opinions.”

Israeli teammate Itamar Einhorn, 24, said he sees a benefit in bringing the team to Israel: “I’m always excited to show our riders what the country has to offer.”

Cyclists with Team Start-Up Nation Israel tour Yad Vashem in Jerusalem. Credit: Noa Arnon/Cycling Academy LTD.

‘I didn’t expect so many fans’

The team has already met and interacted with hundreds of devoted fans. On their first morning of ISN Homecoming Camp in Israel, fans met riders, got autographs and posed for selfies as they rode from Jerusalem to the summit of Nes Harim in the Judean hills, the largest meet-up destination for cyclists in Israel, and hosted a morning coffee stop at the Bar Bahar restaurant in the Jerusalem Forest in Bar Giora.

“I didn’t expect so many fans and riders,” acknowledged Froome. Later in the day on Saturday, they took a walking tour of the Old City and the Western Wall.

At the Sunday event, Israeli President Isaac Herzog enthusiastically greeted the riders, saying: “We welcome the team whole-heartedly, and we bless you that you are representing Jerusalem and Israel in the world of cycling. This team shows incredible professionalism, and we are honored to have you all here. We are very proud that you are formatting into a world-class team, and we believe that you will only continue to get better and get more results next year.”

Herzog shared his enthusiasm for the delegation’s visit on Twitter: “Thrilled to welcome back to Israel the incredible cyclists of @TeamIsraelSUN, including world legend @chrisfroome, after a season with a top-ten team ranking and 17 international wins! Enjoy the beautiful landscapes of Israel at lightning speed!”

Cyclists with Team Start-Up Israel meet Israeli President Isaac Herzog. Credit: Noa Arnon/Cycling Academy LTD.

‘We try to use the sport to build bridges’

Adams has been involved with many high-profile events in Israel designed to showcase the land and its people. They include bringing Madonna to the Eurovision Song Contest in Israel in 2010 and donating $5 million to SpaceIL, the organization working to land the first Israeli spacecraft on the moon.

He said he is pleased that the riders have the opportunity to visit Israel and that Israeli supporters get to spend time with them. “It’s very important for us to bring the team here to introduce the riders to our home country to make them understand what Israel is as we are ambassadors for the nation. We don’t have a brand sponsor like other teams; our brand is Israel, and we carry the name everywhere we go. Another mission of ours is to help make the world a better place, and we try to use the sport to build bridges and to make new friends around the world.”

Prior to the trip, Froome reported, “I am very much looking forward to finally being able to visit Israel. Throughout this year, I have really felt the heart-warming support from the Israeli fans, and I can’t wait to meet them in person and thank them for all their support.”

He made it a point to emphasize that he likes what he has seen so far: “I have so enjoyed being in Israel these last few days and would really like to come back with my family next year. In this team, one of our biggest visions is to inspire the new generation of Israeli cyclists. When we met our young fans, it was clear to see how they were all dreaming of becoming professional riders. You could their eyes sparkle when they met the team and to witness that vision of ours being realized right now is such a joy.”

The team started its schedule with a tour of the Yad Vashem Holocaust museum and memorial in Jerusalem on Sunday. Members visited Tel Aviv on Monday. They plan to meet with young riders to talk about cycling and racing at several schools once back up north. Additionally, the team will be presented at the Expo on Thursday, one day before the 2021  Ironman 70.3 Tiberias competition and its 2,000 competitors on Nov. 12.

Israel Start-Up Nation announced that Israeli riders Niv, Einhorn, Omer Goldstein and Guy Sagiv will stay with the team next year, maintaining an important Israeli presence on the team.

Read more

Original Article Published in the Jerusalem Post


Photo: JEFF AND MIRIAM GREEN FROM WASHINGTON, DC TO BEERSHEBA, 1991(photo credit: Courtesy Green Family)

As a teenager, Jeff Green was a committed and observant Conservative Jew with plans of becoming a Conservative rabbi – until a friend showed him a brochure for Pardes.

The Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem refers to itself as “an open, inclusive, diverse and intellectually challenging Jewish learning community.” For Green, one year at Pardes turned into two. “I overestimated what I thought I knew. I knew nothing! I had to learn how to learn.”

During those years at Pardes and in Jerusalem, Green fell more deeply in love with Israel. “I had to be in Israel,” Green vowed before going back to the US to save up money for his ultimate return to Israel. He was determined not to date – even resisting his mother’s pushing. He then devised a plan. He would agree to date to please her – but there were enough caveats to assure he never actually dated.

“I said, ok, only Modern Orthodox, attractive, DC area and willing to make aliyah in a year!” Green and his wife of decades, Miriam Green, laugh as they recount this period in what seems like ancient history during our Zoom interview from their living room in Beersheba.

“Miriam was on my list,” he admits.

“We had friends in common.”

The two started to date.

“I wanted to date only someone willing to make aliyah within a year and not wait. We were married in September 1990 and made aliyah in July 1991.”

While the timing of their aliyah may not have been perfect (“We just missed the Gulf War”), the Greens came to Beersheba with a plan and with some support in place. Jeff’s sister and brother- in-law lived in Beersheba, where he was a professor, and Jeff had already been accepted to a Boston University/ Ben Gurion University master’s degree program in management

.“We knew we wanted to be here and raise kids here.”

THE MUGHRABI Bridge leading up to the Temple Mount compound, with the Western Wall and Dome of the Rock seen behind, in Jerusalem’s Old City. (credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90)

THE MUGHRABI Bridge leading up to the Temple Mount compound, with the Western Wall and Dome of the Rock seen behind, in Jerusalem’s Old City. (credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90)

Green was blessed with a great professional opportunity upon graduation.

“When I walked out with my master’s degree, my predecessor was looking for a protégée. I became a financial officer in charge of donations.”

As he reflects on his nearly 30 years at BGU, he is proud.

“We went from 6,000 to 20,000 students, we have three campuses and are about to double. It is interesting to be part of it.”

He balances his professional work with a large dose of Jewish learning and teaching, including daf yomi (daily page of Talmud learning). He and Miriam are also very involved in their local synagogue.

Jeff’s strong desire while in his early 20’s to live in Israel is rivaled only by Miriam’s commitment to the Holy Land.

“My journey to Israel started in 1949,” she offers playfully.

“When my mother was 10, she and her family made aliyah from England. Her father became ill in the Krayot and they went back to England.” Their desire to live in Israel never waned.

“When I was 12, my family lived in Rehovot for a year,” Miriam report. “That year made me determined to return, which I did in 1982 with Habonim.” She spent 1982-83 on Kibbutz Gesher Haziv with Habonim (youth movement), then began her university studies at Oberlin College in Ohio. Israel was still very much on her mind. “I looked for all the people with Israeli sandals and became friends.” At that point, she made two promises to herself. “I would make Aliyah and continue to write.” Miriam hoped to always pursue her love of writing.

“My grandparents made aliyah in 1983,” she recounts, “and when we arrived in 1990, we had an opportunity to interact with them intimately until their deaths.”

She reports that she always “had an ingrained sense that this is my country.” She recalls that 1976-77 were significant years, referencing the heroic raid on Entebbe and Israel winning the 1977 FIBA European Champions Cup championship. Maccabi Tel Aviv defeated Mobilgirgi Varese by one point, 78–77, in the finals.

Miriam spent 1982-1983 on Kibbutz Gesher Haziv with Habonim (youth movement), then began her university studies at Oberlin College in Ohio.

Israel was still very much on her mind.

“I looked for all the people with Israeli sandals and became friends.”

At that point, she made two promises to herself.“I would make aliyah and continue to write.” Miriam hoped to always pursue her love of writing.

Miriam gushes with pride when she reports, “We had five generations here at one time – this is just astounding!”

Her grandparents lived in Netanya, and her parents made aliyah in 1994, the year her first son was born. Her father, a biochemist, had done a post-doc in Israel from 1964 to 1966.

While the Green’s aliyah was “storybook” in many ways, they faced challenges.

Miriam shared her experience in an article she wrote for “Guideposts” (guideposts.org), the publication of the spiritual non-profit organization that encourages wellness through inspirational content creation and also maintains an outreach ministry. The article, entitled “They Followed In Abraham’s Spiritual Footsteps: What compelled this couple to give up everything they knew to move to Israel when they couldn’t even speak the local language?” Miriam writes candidly about the struggles learning Hebrew.

“I struggled to conjugate verbs, memorize vocabulary and refine my accent. Who knew that the word for ‘interview’ (ra’ayon) sounded just like pregnancy (herayon)? These two words would define my biggest struggles in my new land: starting a family and defining a job.”

Miriam and Jeff had dreams of raising a large family.

“We wanted at least four children. When a year passed without us conceiving, we went to the top fertility specialist in Beersheba.”

The Greens are proud of the support the country provides, including free IVF treatment for the first two children up until a woman turns 45.

“We were thrilled. We tried IUI and many rounds of drugs before we got the results we were hoping and praying for. Jeff and I eventually succeeded – with God’s help, and an amazing array of doctors – in birthing three healthy children. We were blessed with countless babysitters and playmates for them.”

The Greens appreciated the support of members of their adopted Beersheba community who shared similar stories of struggles conceiving.

Miriam, who had worked at the Federal Reserve Bank in the US, had difficulties finding comparable work due to her lack of fluency in Hebrew.

She then found a job with a good fit – working to help new immigrants, through AACI (the Association for Americans and Canadians in Israel).

This job, in turn, helped her improve her Hebrew as she was working with many government agencies in her advocacy work on behalf of clients.

Miriam worked with AACI for 18 years helping new arrivals to Israel.

“Find a community,” she advises all new olim. She further explains, “Aliyah is like a smorgasbord buffet – you need to know to go up to it – it won’t come to you.

”She speaks of the many services and supports available to olim – if they wish to take advantage of them.

Another challenge Miriam has written openly about on her impressive website, thelostkitchen.org, is her mother’s dementia. She has also written a book, The Lost Kitchen: Reflections and Recipes from an Alzheimer’s Caregiver. The book masterfully weaves poetry, recipes and anecdotes.

Her mom, Naomi, currently lives in the Orpaz memory care facility in Beersheba.

The Greens are great ambassadors for their Beersheba community.

“It is an open, friendly and warm community,” Miriam reports, stressing the many connections they have made in their synagogue and beyond.

They are pleased their 27-year-old son, 24-year-old daughter and 22-year-old son live in Israel (though their daughter and her boyfriend – also a Beersheba native – are currently in Los Angeles and plan to return soon). One small source of frustration the Greens report is property crime, which has included break-ins and stolen cars.

The Greens are also ambassadors for aliyah. Jeff speaks for the two of them when he reports, “I can’t imagine our life any place else. I firmly believe this is the place for me.”

Read more