1 SHALOM Shalom Congregation Eitz Chaim Monroe Woodbury Jewish Community Center 1465 Orange Turnpike/P.O. Box 183 Monroe, NY 10949 (845) 783 - 7424 http://eitzchaim-monroe.org Rabbi Alex Salzberg Sivan – Tammuz 5775 June 2015 You Are Cordially Invited to Sisterhood’s Paid Membership Dinner Date: Monday evening, June 15th Time: 6:00pm – 9:00 pm Program: “Jews in China” View highlights of the film “Shanghai Ghetto,” Enjoy vegan Chinese food catered by “Veggie Heaven” RSVP to Gail Sullivan by June 8th [email protected] 2 SHALOM Our June Bat Mitzvah We would like to invite the Congregation to join us as our daughter Eliana Rose is called to the Torah as a Bat Mitzvah on Saturday, June 6th Services at 9:00 am at Congregation Eitz Chaim followed by Kiddush Luncheon Harley and Alyse Matsil RSVP by May 15th to [email protected] Eliana Matsil will become a Bat Mitzvah on Saturday, June 6th, which is Parshat Behaalotecha. In Hebrew school she is in Kitah Zayin with Morah Beth Julie and has enjoyed learning Musaf with her classmates Max Feigelson and Rebecca Pomerantz. She enjoys coming to Saturday morning Shabbat services and especially enjoys kiddush lunch and hanging out with her friends afterwards. Eliana is also a 7th grader at Monroe Woodbury Middle School, where she plays flute in Symphonic Band, participates in NYSSMA, studies Spanish, takes accelerated math and is on the honor roll. Her favorite class is art. In her free time Eliana enjoys doing computer graphic design, choreographing dances with her friends, and jamming on flute with her brother Aaron on keyboard. Eliana is a natural at Torah and Haftarah trope and is studying with her mother Alyse. She is writing her D'var Torah with the help of Rabbi Salzberg. Eliana says that becoming a Bat Mitzvah is a lot of work, but the best part has been "shopping for a dress!" 3 SHALOM Sivan) June 14 - Shirley Pinkus observes the yahrzeit of her father, William Laskin (27 Sivan) June 14 - Diane Soss observes the yahrzeit of her father, Jack Kowal (27 Sivan) Sisterhood is looking for Kiddush sponsors for the weekends Rabbi Salzberg is at Eitz Chaim. Sponsor for a special occasion or just because. Do it with another family or friend or two from the congregation. We really need your support in order to continue our beautiful tradition of sitting down together to enjoy lunch with the congregation after Saturday morning services. Please contact Paula Spector to reserve your date. June 17 - Steven Pine observes the yahrzeit of his father, Julius Pine (30 Sivan) June 19 - Arlyne Berman observes the yahrzeit of her mother, Rose Gottlieb (2 Tammuz) June 22 - Shirley Pinkus observes the yahrzeit of her father-in-law, Isadore Pinkus (5 Tammuz) June 28 - Stan Hecht observes the yahrzeit of his father, Kurt Hecht (11 Tammuz) Thank you for sponsoring the Kiddush: In January, Karen & Bruce Fischer sponsored the Kiddush. June 6—The Matsil Family in honor of Eliana’s Bat Mitzvah June 13—Shirley Pinkus is sponsoring the Kiddush in honor of all the kindness shown to her by the Congregation when she was she was sitting Shiva for her sister. June Yahrzeit Announcements Candle lighting is the evening before the listed date. Hebrew School If you have any Yahrzeit dates that you would like announced, please send the information to Steve Mo- Check out our Hebrew School’s amazing webses [email protected] or call him at 427-2704. site: June 3 - Nancy Levine observes the yahrzeit of her sister, Bonnie Cohen Norton (16 Sivan) June 6 - Gerry Wincott observes the yahrzeit of his mother, Betty Wincott (19 Sivan) June 7 - Fran Gordon observes the yahrzeit of her mother, Selma Lander (20 Sivan) June 10 - Steve Moses observes the yahrzeit of his mother, Freydel Moses (23 Sivan) June 11 - Jennie Ossentjuk observes the yahrzeit of her father, Earl Sheldon Levy (24 http://www.eitzchaimhebrewschool.com 4 SHALOM April Donations : Alan & Goldie Witrock - Yahrzeit of Sam Milchman Mazel Tov’s / In honor of: Alan & Goldie Witrock - Yahrzeit of Sam Witrock Benjamin Ostrer – Sale of Chametz Rochelle & Ida Marshall - Mazel Tov to Jessica & Michael Cohn on the birth of their son John & Karen Celidonio - In honor of Paul & Linda Siegel on the birth of their grandchild John & Karen Celidonio - In honor of Mike & Jessica Cohn on the birth of their son Judy & Marty Berman - In honor of Paul Siegel on your upcoming honor with federation Judy & Marty Berman - In honor of Dr. Jill Green on her recent honor. The next Shalom Deadline is June 10th for the July Issue Judi & Marty Berman - In honor of Heather Kaplan on her recent honor. Jessica & Michael Cohn - Donation for the birth of son [email protected] Aliyahs and Mishaberach: Henry & Samira Galler - Mishaberach Yizkor / Yahrzeit / In memory of: Shirley Pinkus - In memory of Doris Rubinsky's mother, Martha Albert Rochelle Marshall - In memory of John Celidonio's mother Bonnie & David Brunner - In honor of Sheila Ornstein's 65 birthday Bonnie & David Brunner - In memory of John Celidonio's mother, Alice & Uncle Bobby Ida & Rochelle Marshall – Yizkor Beth Marks - Yahrzeits of Josephine & Arthur Marks Leonard Schwartz - Yahrzeits of Ethel Schwartz and Sophie Schwartz Glen, Leslie, Sarah, Michael and Beth Green - In memory of our beloved father and grandfather, Irving A. Green ner Please send articles as a MS word file to Sheila at: Bonnie & David Brunner - In memory of Ellen Brun- 5 SHALOM Dial - A - Card Order a special, beautiful card for any occasion simply by calling Samira Galler at 783-3930 Cards are available for any occasion including birthdays, graduations, in honor of, in. Mail your donation (min. $8.00) check (made out to Sisterhood MWJCC) to her at: 5 Mercury Avenue, Monroe, NY 10950 The following donations were made by: Sheila Ornstein: Wishing David Hasin Refouah Schlema and a speedy recovery; Sending condolences to Steve Reich on the passing of Mom Z"L; Mazel Tov to Mike & Jessica Cohn on the birth of their son;Mazel Tov to Eliana & the Matsil family on her becoming Bat Mitzvah; Deepest sympathy to Sally Levine on the loss of her mother, Marilyn Levine z”L; Deepest sympathy to Arlyne Berman on the loss of her husband, Jack z”L Rita & Gerry Wincott : In Memory of Marilyn Levine Z"L Henry & Samira Galler : In Memory of Marilyn Levine Z"L Margaret & Warren Meth : Donation in Memory of Marilyn Levine Z"L Edith & Marty Bard : Making a donation in memory of Jack Berman Z"L BOX TOPS FOR EDUCATION The Hebrew School and Gan Shalom have been re-enrolled in the Box Tops For Education program. It started in December 2012. At that time our school ID, which is 961171, became active. There are three programs that can add up to $60,000 per year for the school. One is the regular Box Top collection, two is Bonus Box Tops, and the third is shopping online. An explanation of all there is found at www.BTFE.com. Immediately, we are collecting box tops, which equal 10 cents each. There is a basket on the table near the downstairs front door for collection. You can also please put the box tops in Marilyn Dale’s mailbox and she 6 SHALOM Torah Insights Insights— —Parshat Chukat Parashat Chukkat is divided into three distinct sections. The first begins with Hashem’s instructions for creating a water -based mixture called “water of niddah (lustration)” and the rituals of purification after contact with a corpse, human bones or a grave. The second part deals with the death of Miriam and Aaron and Moshe learning that he will die before reaching the Promised Land. The third part relates the battle against the king of Arad, complaints of the Israelites and the itinerary of their travels and Israel’s song. This is such an appropriate parashat for this month. Chukkat tells of two deaths and one predicted death. We have recently suffered two losses in the Eitz Chaim family. On the other hand we have also recently had a birth. We are connected to Torah, Hashem and each other by these life cycle events and it is no surprise that we, too, may feel a need for purification and cleansing. The preparations of the “water of lustration” begin with a series of steps performed by Eleazar, Aaron’s son. The officiant takes the red cow outside the camp, slaughters it, and then purifies those involved. The entire procedure is considered highly impure (tamei). The priest sprinkles blood at the front of the Tent of Meeting. At other times, the priest sprinkles blood directly on the Altar. Stephen A. Geller who is the Irma Cameron Milstein Chair of Bible at The Jewish Theological Seminary, summarizes blood’s use as both a sign of sinfulness and its opposite – an agent of creative purification. He points out that blood signals loss of life, including murder; for instance, the blood of Abel testifies that Cain murdered him (Genesis 4:10). But blood also symbolizes life itself; therefore, according to the Bible, Hashem has forbidden humans to eat flesh without first draining its blood (Genesis 9:46). Blood saves Israel from death in Exodus 12:13 (during the slaying of the first born). Paradoxically, in Leviticus 12, after a woman gives birth she remains in a state of “blood purification” that marks the arrival of new life; but in Leviticus 15, blood of the menstruating woman represents the missed opportunity of conception. Both conditions make a woman temporarily impure. These symbolic dimensions of blood are captured in the ritual of the red cow and the preparation of the water of lustration. The term for lustration, niddah, illustrates the way in which a word may take on contradictory meanings in different biblical traditions. The noun niddah derives from the root n-d-d “to depart, flee, wander”; the causative use of the root means “to chase away, put aside.” Jacob Milgrom, a prominent American Jewish Bible scholar and Conservative rabbi, understands niddah as having originally referred to the menstrual blood, which was discharged or eliminated. Niddah came to refer to the menstruant herself, “for she too was ‘discharged’ and ‘excluded’ from her society not by being kept at arm’s length from others but, in many communities, by being banished to and quarantined in separate quarters”. Niddah occurs 29 times in the Tanach, conveying at least three possible meanings: menstrual impurity (the most frequent meaning), indecency, and purification (this parashat). In Ezekiel 36:17, the prophet uses the term in an explicitly degrading sense, comparing Israel’s defilement of the land to a menstruating woman. Professor Jonathan Klawans, a specialist in the religion and religious literature of ancient Judaism at Boston University, suggests that the menstruating woman in Ezekiel is an apt image since she “can cleanse herself quickly and easily from her ritual impurity, so too will Hashem purify the people from the defiling force of their sins”. In today’s parashat, niddah conveys the nuance found in the term’s original meaning – being set apart – since the watery mixture is to remain outside the camp. Yet through purification it restores the individual to her or his proper place within the camp. Zechariah 13:1 highlights that sense of restoration. The prophet envisions the day on which Hashem will vindicate Jerusalem. “On that day a fountain opened to the…inhabitants of Jerusalem for cleansing (chatat) and for sprinkling (niddah). Thus, both that oracle and today’s verse use niddah in close connection to chatat. In both texts, niddah is understood not as defiling or abhorrent, but as its opposite, ensuring purification. Both passages suggest a moment of restoration and joyous relief. In one brief verse we learn of the death of Miriam. Now we can see the relevance of and need for the previous purification instructions. Miriam is an enigmatic figure. Unlike the majority of other women in the Tanach, her reputation does not rest on being someone’s mother or wife. She has an independent existence. The Tanach (Exodus 15:20) even accords her the title of “prophet”. We see Miriam in contradictory images: joyously leading the women in song at Hashem’s deliverance of Israel from the Sea (Exodus 15), or punished by Hashem with “snow-white tzaraat” after challenging Moses’ exclusive leadership. Nonetheless, the details of her death in verse 20 – the first new moon, the place of her burial, especially the notice that she is buried – suggest that she is a leader of significant import in the Torah. After all, the death of most characters in the Bible receives no notice. This is true especially of women. The Torah records the deaths only of Sarah, Rachel, and Rachel’s nurse, Deborah. In addition, Miriam’s death is to be followed by that of her brothers, which cannot be a coincidence. The three die, each in turn, on the last three stops of the journey. Following Miriam’s death, the Israelite community starts complaining that they are without water. Is the timing of the present complaint for water significant? Miriam is closely associated with water: she observes the deliverance of Moses from the Nile, and she celebrates with him at the sea. Just before she dies, the new ritual instructions require “water of lustration” that is 7 SHALOM made from “living water”. And now, immediately after Miriam’s death, the people desperately cry for water. Because the two episodes follow each other, the Rabbis connect Miriam’s death to the lack of water. In Exodus 17:5-6, Hashem instructs Moses to use his rod to strike the rock to release its water. This time, Hashem tells Moses to speak to the rock before their eyes (so that the people see him do so and not just hear the words) to release the water. Numbers 20:9-13 describe Hashem’s punishment of Moses and Aaron. What wrong could they have committed severe enough to warrant Hashem’s punishment after years of loyal service? Because Moses’ and Aaron’s “crime” here is not self-evident, rabbinic interpreters have offered a wide range of explanations. Some suggest that the “crime” concerns striking the rock; Moses struck the rock instead of speaking to it, or perhaps he violated Hashem’s instructions by striking it twice instead of once. Moses was instructed to bring the rod to the rock. Others suggest that Hashem is angry because the incident discloses problematic aspects of Moses’ character as a leader. Moses lost his temper in an inappropriate manner. Still others suggest that Moses’s language was wrong: By phrasing his words as a question, he could have been misunderstood as doubting Hashem; by saying “shall we get water for you”, he positioned himself and Aaron – instead of Hashem – as the chief actors; or by calling the people “rebels” he denigrated them. The question remains why did Moses so mishandle the crisis over water? One thought is grief. Moses is reacting to Miriam’s death. Before hitting the rock, Moses cries out, “Listen, you rebels!” The word for rebels is morim and it appears nowhere else in the Bible in this form. In their unvocalized form, morim (rebels) and miryam (Miriam) are identical; both words are made up of the same four Hebrew letters. This verbal coincidence may intimate that Moses’ behavior has as much to do with losing Miriam as with his frustration with the Israelite people. It suggests that when faced with the task of producing water, Moses recalls Miriam as his older sister, his co-leader, and perhaps most of all, the clever caretaker who guarded him at the Nile. Moses may have learned the hard way that the public silence about Miriam’s loss was a mistake. Perhaps, then, the elaborate mourning for Aaron reflects what Moses learned. In Numbers 25 Hashem tells Moses to “Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and go up Hor HaHar.” Rashi wrote a wonderful midrash about this: G-d said to Moses: "Do Me a favor and tell Aaron that he is to die, for I am ashamed to tell him." What did Moses do? He rose early in the morning and went to Aaron, and called to him: "Aaron, my brother!" Aaron came out to him and asked: "Why did you see fit to come so early today?" Said Moses to him: "There was something in the Torah which occupied my mind during the night and which I had difficulty with, so I rose early and came to you." Asked Aaron: "What was this thing?" Said Moses to him: "I do not remember what it was, but I know that it was in the Book of Genesis; bring it and let us read from it." So they took a scroll of the Book of Genesis and read from it. With each chapter and each thing they read, Moses would say: "Gd did well; G-d created well." When they came to the creation of man, Moses said: "What can be said of man, who brought death into the world!" Said Aaron: "Moses, my brother, can you say that in this matter we do not accept the Divine decree?" ... Said Moses: "And I, who ruled over the ministering angels, and you, who stopped death [with the ketoret], shall we, too, come to this?"... Immediately Aaron felt his demise in his bones... Said Aaron to him: "'My heart trembles within me, and the terrors of death are befallen me' (Psalms 55:5)." Said Moses to him: "Are you prepared to die?" Said he:"Yes." Said Moses: "Let us then ascend Hor HaHar." Thereupon the three of them--Moses, Aaron and Eleazar--ascended before the eyes of all of Israel... When they ascended [the mountain], a cave opened up for them... Said Moses to Aaron:"Enter the cave." He entered, and he saw there a made-up bed and a burning candle. Said Moses to him:"Go up onto the bed." He went up. "Straighten your arms." He straightened them. "Close your mouth." He closed it... Thereupon the Shechinah (Divine Presence) came down and kissed him. (At that moment, Moses desired a death such as that. Thus it was later said to him (Deuteronomy 32:50): "And you will die on the mountain... as Aaron your brother died on Hor HaHar"--the death which you coveted.) G-d said to them: "Go out from here." As soon as they went out, the cave was sealed, and Moses and Eleazar descended. They wept for Aaron... all the house of Israel (20:29) 8 SHALOM SHOP AT THE EITZ CHAIM GIFT SHOP FOR ALL YOUR JUDAICA NEEDS! SUPPORT OUR ADVERTISERS. TELL THEM YOU SAW THEIR AD IN THE SHALOM 9 SHALOM Sisterhood Book Club Our current book is My Promised Land by Ari Shavit mi-Sinai). Maimonides states that the commandment of visiting the sick is also an aspect of the mitzvah of “You shall love your fellow as yourself.” There is no limit to the amount of times that one can fulfill this commandment, or to the level of its fulfillment, provided that one does not become too bothersome for the sick person. Most of the time, a short visit is preferable. One needs to take the status and the desires of the sick person into consideration. An authoritative and deeply personal narrative history of the State of Israel, by one of the most influential journalists writing about the Middle East today. Our next meeting will be June 17th at 7:00 pm at the home of Sheila Ornstein. Please call Sheila (928-6244) for more information and directions. B’KOR CHOLIM COMMITTEE Eitz chaim is a caring community. A B'kor Cholim committee has been formed to offer support to our Eitz Chaim family. If you or anyone you know in our congregation needs a call, a card, or a contact, please et one of us on the committee know. Beth Marks Moses [email protected] 845427-2704 One should not limit visits to only those who are older and/or greater. Those who are younger or not as great also need visiting. If there are two sick patients, one who has many visitors and the other a few or none, one should preferably visit the latter person. Opinions vary as to whether one should visit a person whom he hates. According to some, he should avoid visiting, since it may appear as if he is rejoicing over the other’s illness. The best thing is to inform the sick person through a third party that you would like to visit him. If it is acceptable to the patient, you may visit him, for this may be the beginning of a peace process. No blessing is said when performing the commandment of visiting the sick. Not all patients are in a position to receive visitors. Under such circumstances, one should inquire of the relatives whether it is okay to visit; and even then, try to keep the visit short. It is also necessary to have a sixth sense and realize when one is overstaying. In a situation where a patient is not ready for visitors, visiting can still be accomplished by staying in the foyer or hallway, and helping out family members or saying Psalms on behalf of the person. Although most aspects of visiting the sick can be fulfilled only with a personal visit, if one is not able to do a personal visit, he can fulfill the mitzvah with a phone call. Speedy recovery to Aviva Cohn who is recovering from a foot injury. Enter the room of the sick person in a positive mood. Do not display any moods of sadness or melancholy, as this could affect the welfare of the patient. Visiting the Sick One should not bring bad tidings to a sick person. Paula Spector [email protected] 610-3548 845- Nancy Rothstein [email protected] 845-783-7069 Mazel tov to Michael and Jessica Cohn on the birth of their son, Jonathan. Deepest condolences to Arlyne Berman on the passing of her beloved husband, Jack. The commandment of visiting the sick (bikkur cholim) is a very great good deed. According to certain opinions, this is a biblical mitzvah, based upon the verse “And you shall walk in His ways.” According to others (including Maimonides), it is a rabbinical commandment. Yet others maintain that this is a mitzvah which is a law that was handed down to Moses at Sinai (halachah le-Moshe If one needs to fulfill the commandments of visiting the sick and consoling a mourner (nichum aveilim), and he is able only to do one or the other, then preference is given to the mitzvah of consoling a mourner. 10 SHALOM LAG Ba OMER MAY 2015 When Sisterhood reflects back to 2015, our highs and lows, successes and needs for improvement, the Lag BaOmer Celebration on May 3rd will be remembered as a fun, special day for all who attended. Rochelle Marshall, upon learning just days earlier, that Jewish Federation was not sponsoring they County-wide celebratory event this year, sprung into action and organized a day for Eitz Chaim to remember the holiday and just enjoy being together. We partied at Round Lake Beach in Monroe in traditional Lag BaOmer fashion with a bonfire started and maintained by Marty Berman. Music was provided by Steve Kushner and lawn games were organized by Paul Siegel. Everyone who came brought food and drink to share, including marshmallows and potatoes for roasting on the fire. Jerome Spector brought plants to sell for the Hebrew School fundraiser and Samira Galler donated a bottle of Israeli Sabra ( a chocolate liquor) which went to the highest bidder, Paul Siegel. Thank you to everyone for participating in this wonderful event! The origins of Lag BaOmer as a minor festival are unclear. The date is mentioned explicitly for the first time in the 13th century by the TalmudistMeiri in his gloss to Yevamot 62b. The Talmudic passage states that during the time of Rabbi Akiva, 24,000 of his students died from a divinely-sent plague 11 SHALOM during the counting of the Omer. The Talmud goes on to say that this was because they did not show proper respect to one another. Meiri named Lag BaOmer as the day when, "according to a tradition of the geonim", the "plague" ended After the death of Rabbi Akiva's 24,000 students, he was left with only five students, among them Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. The latter went on to become the greatest teacher of Torah in his generation, and is purported to have authored the Zohar, a landmark text of Jewish mysticism. The Zohar calls the day of Bar Yochai's death a hillula. Rabbi Chaim Vital, the main disciple of Rabbi Isaac Luria and author of Etz Chaim, was the first to name Lag BaOmer as the date of Bar Yochai's hillula. According to the Zohar (III, 287b–296b), on the day of Bar Yochai's death, he revealed the deepest secrets of the Kabbalah. Lag BaOmer therefore became a day of celebration of the great light (i.e., wisdom) that Bar Yochai brought into the world. Nachman Krochmal, a 19th-century Jewish theologian, among others, suggests that the deaths of Rabbi Akiva's students was a veiled reference to the defeat of "Akiva's soldiers" by the Romans, and that Lag BaOmer was the day on which Bar Kokhba enjoyed a brief victory. During the Middle Ages, Lag BaOmer became a special holiday for rabbinical students and was called "Scholar's Day." It was customary to rejoice on this day through outdoor sports. 12 SHALOM PLEASURES FROM THE GOOD EARTH An Eitz Chaim Sisterhood Cookbook Copies are still available. $18.00 per Cookbook **** A great gift for all occasions Checks should be made out to Sisterhood MWJCC. Call or visit the office to get your copy. Yom Huledet Sameach to our June Birthdays Harriet Greenberg—June 1 Rita Wincott—June 1 Dave Brunner—June 6 Bruce Rothstein—June 8 Ivette Sullivan—June 9 Kal Rothman—June 12 Sharon Jennings—June 14 Sanford Pankin—June 20 Yasmine Kalkstein—June 22 Gail Sullivan—June 24 13 SHALOM Sisterhood Bereavement/Refouah Schlemah Fund Sisterhood has a bereavement fund that is used to provide meals for families during their time of shiva or recovery from illness. Donations to this fund are welcome. Please make your check out to: Sisterhood MWJCC and put “Bereavement/Refouch Schlemah Donation” on the memo line and send it to: Sisterhood MWJCC c/o Sheila Ornstein 19 Scaglione Court Highland Mills, NY 10930 A donation has been made by : Shirley Pinkus in memory of Marilyn Levine z”L Women with Wool Tuesday's at 10:00 AM—12 noon in the synagogue library. Needlework, knitting or crocheting. Free coffee will be served. Yesterday is history, tomorrow is For more information, contact a mystery, and today is a gift; that's why they call it the present. Eleanor Roosevelt Sheila Ornstein 845.928.6244 (We do not meet if MW schools are delayed or closed.) 14 SHALOM Monroe Woodbury Jewish Community Center PO Box 183 Monroe, New York 10949 Please Do Not Hold Dated Material CANDLE CANDLE LIGHTING LIGHTING April 2013 June 2015 JOIN US FOR Shabbat Light candles…………..Shabbat Light candles………..……..Ends Ends SERVICES June 8:09 pmpm June —— 9:18 pmpm May 53—— 7:37 May6 4 8:42 AT June pmpm June pmpm May 12—8:13 10 — 7:45 May13— 11 9:23 —8:51 June 19—8:15 June 20 —9:26 pm Shavuot Lightpm candles………..……..Ends EITZ CHAIM June pmpmJune 27 —9:26 pm May 26—8:16 14 — 7:49 May 15 — 8:55 pm May 16 —8:56 pm Shabbat Light candles………..……..Ends May 17 — 7:52 pm May 18 — 8:59 pm May 24 — 7:58 pm May 25 —9:06 pm Friday Night 6:00 PM Shabbat Morning 9:00 AM Sunday Morning 8:30 AM If you would like to arrange a morning or evening minyan for a yahrzeit call Mark Schulberg.
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