Community

15 CHESHVAN 5773

OCTOBER 31, 2012

HAMODIA

C49

Parnassah Expo in the Meadowlands Is the Next Step for Our Community
BY SHIMMY BLUM

Book Review
A valuable new work by Rabbi Reuven G. Becker, You Are Your Parents Keeper: Hashkafic and Halachic Insights Into Elder Care and Kibbud Av Vaeim (Feldheim), has just been released. In recommending the book to the community, Rabbi Mordechai Biser, Esq., general counsel for Agudath Israel of America, stated, I do not know of any other work available today that includes the halachic, hashkafic and practical information about caring for the elderly that this book offers. It is designed to help caregivers and potential caregivers become aware of the issues that they will need to know about, and at the same time it advocates for consultation with the familys and the patients Rav whenever appropriate. As people live longer lives, the care of the elderly continues to change and become more complex. For Jewish households, these changes involve a number of sensitive concerns and challenges about the mitzvah of honoring ones parents. These issues range from the halachic, emotional, and financial to the medical, legal, and logistical. Writing from a Torah perspective, the author has put together an indispensible guide to elder care and kibbud av vaeim. Among the topics he addresses in detail are caring for a frail, sick parent, care management, end-of-life issues, preparing a will, aveilus, and honoring parents after their petirah. It has such a wealth of information that it can be a sourcebook for rabbis on mitzvas kibbud av vaeim whenever they wish to teach or speak on the topic, said Rabbi Fabian Schonfeld. I was particularly impressed

In a rapidly changing world that is increasingly interconnected, connecting to the right people still poses the greatest challenge to aspiring businessmen in our community. If youre looking for guidance or resources to decide which career path to take or how to grow a business, or if you want to find out about the latest business services, you may find that confusion reigns. Fortunately, in just over three months, an unprecedented number of the most useful parnassah resources for the Jewish community will come under one roof. The Nationwide Parnassah Expo and Networking Event, hosted by the Learn and Network organization, will be held, iyH, on February 12, 2013, at the Meadowlands Exposition Center. This follows the overwhelming success of Learn and Networks inaugural Parnassah Expo, which was held in Lakewood last winter and attracted over 7,000 people. Lakewood askan Reb Duvi Honig, founder of Learn and Network, says the expo will be many times larger and more comprehensive than last years event and can be summed up in four words: Every stage, every age. Over 60,000 square feet at the center will be dedicated to the expo, which will be divided into six sections to cover the full range of needs of those who are seeking parnassah: Section One will consist of a major job fair. Scores of businesses and organizations of all sizes will meet prospective employees and accept resums. A special feature of this job fair is that it will accommodate smaller businesses that are looking to hire a small number of employees. Section Two will feature a cross-section of community and social services organizations whose goal is to help people stay afloat and manage in this difficult financial environment. Some of these are headhunting corporations that assist in job placement and business funding. Section Three will feature a vast selection of professional training courses to help people in our community choose the right profession for them and get the best training and placement possible. Section Four will feature business enhancement tools and services for every type of business, including consulting, marketing, sales agencies, legal advisors, and funding resources. Section Five will be the expos largest and most revolutionary. It will be divided into five industry subsections; each

will have every resource imaginable for a particular business field. The focus is on showcasing businesses that service each industry. The subsections include real estate and construction, health care, technology, and import/export and manufacturing, along with a section for other industries. Section Six will feature a host of seminars on a variety of business-related topics. Prominent businessmen and professional lecturers will share their wisdom and experience in a variety of fields. In addition, space will be set aside in each section for general

Closing the deal for the Expo with the Meadowlands Expo Center.

Rabbi Beckers book provides a comprehensive new look at the mitzvah of kibbud av vaeim and elder care.

A meeting of Williamsburg askanim took place Sunday October 28 in preparation for the nationwide Parnassah Expo.

with the inclusion of the role of grandchildren and grandparents in the discussion. The volume contains essential responsa from past and present Rabbanim, as well as an appendix with resource documents and extensive references and footnotes. It enjoys haskamos from eminent Rabbanim, shlita, such as Harav Noach Isaac Oelbaum and Harav Hershel Schachter, and messages from Harav Moshe Sternbuch, Harav Shlomo Brevda, Harav Yisroel Reisman and other that further enhance this Torah gem. This groundbreaking text is an essential resource for all Jewish households, counselors, rabbis, educators, physicians and health-care professionals. You Are Your Parents Keeper provides a clear, methodical framework that enables readers to face these challenges in an organized, compassionate manner. The book is available at local bookstores and online at feldheim.com.

At the Parnassah Expo held in Lakewood last winter.

networking to enable people with interest in that field to meet and forge productive relationships. There will also be a special Investment Circle in Section Five, where individual investors and investing firms will discuss investing capital in business ventures. Learn and Network recently introduced a special private equity service to match investors with ambitious businessmen who have good ideas all in keeping with its primary goal of putting the right people in contact with each other. The quantity of resources at the expo will be breathtaking, but Reb Duvi stresses that tremendous effort has been invested in using the space wisely. The businesses and services featured will not be

abstract or simply interesting, but useful tools that will enable participants to make tangible progress. He cites the success of last years expo, which helped scores of people land jobs and open successful ventures of all sizes a promising sign that the upcoming expo will accomplish significantly more, bezras Hashem. Everyone with motivation and talent, at any stage in life, will be able to find several resources that come in very handy, Reb Duvi concludes.
For more information about reservations, including pre-registering for networking groups, or to take advantage of special rates for early reservations, please visit parnassahexpo.com or email info@parnassahexpo.com.