text:
Mayo vies for public money for Minnesota expansion
Mayo Clinic to chase more than $500 million in state help for huge build-out in southern Minn.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- The Mayo Clinic, Minnesota's largest private employer, pressed state lawmakers Wednesday to commit more than $500 million toward an ambitious development project tied to the renowned medical center in Rochester.
The proposal outlined by Mayo officials includes projections that the publicly aided expansion will lead to as many as 45,000 new jobs around the state during the next 20 years and leverage more than $5 billion in private investment. They're calling it the Destination Medical Center plan.
It focuses on upgrading Mayo's research and care facilities and on giving its mid-sized host city amenities that make it more attractive to physicians being recruited and to the patients who come from across the globe for treatment.
Dr. John Noseworthy, Mayo's president and chief executive officer, said in an interview with The Associated Press that the medical center can't afford to stand still at a time when peer clinics are forging ahead with significant expansions. Johns Hopkins in Baltimore recently completed a $1.1 billion expansion.
"Medicine is growing faster and science is moving faster and Minnesota needs Mayo Clinic to be at the cutting edge of it. That's why we want to make these investments, hopefully in this state," Noseworthy said.
He worked to head off suggestions that Mayo was seeking a government handout.
All told, the plan envisions a public cost of $585 million, some the responsibility of the city and some falling to the state.
The state's contribution would come in the form of diverted tax dollars. A percentage of new tax revenues expected to flow from the expansion would be earmarked to repay public bonds that Mayo says are needed to do environmental remediation, allow for utility work and enhance roads, bridges and public meeting space. Not all the public borrowing would be done at once but as the expansion reaches various phases.
Gov. Mark Dayton appeared at a news conference with Noseworthy, who also gave private briefings to leading lawmakers. The Democratic governor praised the goal of the expansion but stopped short of endorsing the means.
"I don't know if this is exactly the right financing mechanism," Dayton said. The governor left without taking questions.
Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk, DFL-Cook, said the proposal would take time for lawmakers to digest.
"That's a pretty big new precedent that will require significant discussion and deliberation at the Legislature," Bakk said, who added that lawmakers may convene a special working group to scrutinize the proposal.
Noseworthy said Mayo is counting on action this session, which is due to conclude in May.
"We need to know if the state's behind us or not," he said. If not, he said Mayo would weigh whether to concentrate its expansion elsewhere.
Mayo currently employs 32,000 people in the state. Under its project estimates, the clinic's workforce would almost double by the time the build-out is fully completed. Many would come in science, technology and medical industries.
Over the years, Minnesota has authorized thousands of so-called tax increment financing plans that capture property tax money derived from a development to repay some construction costs. The Mayo plan goes further by taking a slice from income, corporate and state sales taxes, too. It also relies on city tax revenues from a local sales tax that Rochester voters authorized in November.
Lawmakers must consider whether other communities and companies would expect the state to replicate the Mayo's novel financing idea on their own expansion projects.
Republican Sen. David Senjem of Rochester, a former Mayo employee, said his colleagues need to understand the uniqueness of the institution.
"It's going to take a fair amount of heavy lifting," Senjem said. "We are going to work collectively as a Legislature to make sure this asset stays here and grows here."
As part of the venture, Mayo intends to invest about $3.5 billion for improvements on its Minnesota campus. The other $2 billion in contemplated private investment would come through spinoff developments, such as research labs for companies that serve Mayo.
Clinic officials say the medical facility is only part of their vision. They see it as a magnet for luring more lodging, retail and cultural attractions to Rochester, which in turn would help Mayo market itself as it competes with top-flight clinics in more cosmopolitan settings worldwide.
The clinic is a premier research and treatment center that grew out of a Mayo family medical practice started in Rochester in 1863. Today, Mayo has more than 58,000 doctors, nurses, scientists, students and allied health staff in the Midwest and locations in Arizona and Florida. But Rochester, a city of about 100,000 people about 90 minutes south of Minneapolis, has remained its flagship.
Presidents, kings, sheiks and U.S. congressmen have been among the clinic's roster of patients over the years, some receiving care for rare ailments. Mayo's clinics serve more than 1.1 million patients annually.
At the news conference, business and labor executives stood shoulder to shoulder in support of the proposal. Bill Blazar, a senior executive at the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, urged legislators to get on board with a proposal that "secures the position of the Mayo Clinic on the world's medical map."


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subset: commoncrawl


text:
A place in the wilderness where the Israelites encamped when they turned back from Etham. It lay between Migdol and the sea "before Baal-zephon" (Ex. xiv. 2, 9; Num. xxxiii. 7, 8). The etymology of the name, which is apparently Egyptian, was the subject of much speculation by the ancient commentators. The Septuagint, while treating the word as a proper name in Numbers (Εἰρόϑ; translating, however, by στόμα), translates it in Exodus by τῆς ἐπαύλεως (="sheepfold" or" farm-building"), thus reading in the Hebrew text . The Mekilta (Beshallaḥ, Wayeḥi, 1) identifies the place with Pithom, which was called Pi-hahiroth (= "the mouth of freedom") after the Israelites had been freed from bondage, the place itself being specified as a valley between two high rocks. The Targum of pseudo-Jonathan (ad loc.), while following the Mekilta in the interpretation of "Pi-hahiroth," identifies the place with Tanis.
The theory of an Egyptian etymology was advanced by Jablonsky, who compared it to the Coptic "pi-akhirot" = "the place where sedge grows," and by Naville, who explained the name as "the house of the goddess Ḳerhet." On the basis of this latter explanation, Fulgence Fresnel identified Pihahiroth with the modern Ghuwaibat al-Bus (="the bed of reeds"), near Ras Atakah.
- Selbie, in Hastings, Dict. Bible.


text:
US businesses and diplomats are pressing India to cut tariffs, industry and government sources say, after New Delhi's move to increase customs duties on dozens of products to help its flagship Make-in-India drive aggravated differences over trade.
Ford, which has two plants in India, has sought a reversal of the new tariffs on auto components, while Apple Inc is concerned its iPhones have become even more expensive in the price-conscious $10 billion smartphone market.
India and the United States have built close political ties and Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in Washington last summer, bear-hugging President Donald Trump in his personalized style of diplomacy. But trade friction is casting a shadow.
When Donald Trump met Narendra Modi
A US State Department spokesperson told Reuters India must lower trade barriers, which were holding back economic ties.
Trump has already called out India for its duties on Harley-Davidson motorbikes, and this month Modi ordered them cut to 50 per cent from 75 per cent for high-end bikes.
But that has not satisfied Trump, who pointed to zero duties for Indian bikes sold in the United States, saying he would push for a "reciprocal tax" against countries, including US allies, that levy tariffs on American products.
"It is important that India make greater efforts to lower barriers to trade, including tariff and non-tariff barriers, which will lower prices to consumers, promote development of value chains in India," said the State Department spokesperson, referring to Trump's comments on motorbikes.
Trump junior to wine and dine luxury flat buyers in India
The US Congress has been pushing over the past year for greater pressure on India to dismantle economic barriers, and now House Republicans have raised the issue of the new round of duties with New Delhi.
"We conveyed our concerns to the Indian government last week to raising tariffs above WTO rates – especially as it relates to information technology," a Republican aide told Reuters.
Import taxes
India announced higher import tax on electronics products such as mobile phones and television sets in December, and then on 40 more items in the budget this month. These included goods as varied as sunglasses, juices and auto components.
India says the move is aimed at giving local industry the chance to grow and is part of a broader plan to lift the share manufacturing makes up of GDP to a quarter, from around 15 percent, and create the tens of thousands of jobs needed for a young workforce.
US commerce department referred questions to the US Trade Representative's (USTR) office, where a spokesman declined to comment.
The Indian commerce ministry did not respond to a request for a comment on the US criticism of the import taxes.
But a senior finance ministry official defended the decision to raise duties, saying it reflected a trend in other parts of the world.
"When all the major economies, including the US and China, are following protectionist policies, why are we being questioned," the official said.
Trade ties
Bilateral trade between India and the United States has grown to about $115 billion in 2016 from $20 billion in 2001. The United States buys close to a fifth of India's goods and services exports and its trade deficit has widened from $13 billion in 2006 to $31 billion in 2016.
The USTR's office is "fairly negative" on India at this point and is analyzing the impact of the customs trade tariffs on various American companies, an industry source aware of the matter told Reuters.
"They are more vigilant than earlier, they are in bulldog mode under Trump," the source said. A spokesperson for the USTR's office declined to comment.
India set to get operational control of Iran's Chabahar port for 18 months
Even before the new round of hikes, India has been seen as one of the most protected major economies. The United States had an average tariff rate of 3.4 percent on imported goods in 2016. compared with 13.5 percent for India, according to the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
China, which the Trump administration is targeting for its trade practices, had an average tariff rate of 9.9 percent that year.
Apple, whose top-end iPhone costs nearly $1,700 after the company raised prices twice in recent months due to higher duties, is in talks with other firms on whether the issue could be raised at the WTO, an industry source said.
Apple did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Ford and European carmaker Volkswagen have written to Indian Finance Minister Arun Jaitley saying the new tariffs are going to hurt the auto sector and should be reviewed, sources said.
Anurag Mehrotra, Ford India's managing director, said the company has invested $2 billion in the country and the government's move would hit the automobile sector.
"Like many, we also see it as the return of protectionism," Mehrotra told Reuters, adding he expected car prices to rise up to 4 percent due to new duties.
Andreas Lauermann, the head of Volkswagen's India unit said it "remains a challenge to invest further" because of sudden tax hikes.
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The title of Father Edward Oakes new book, Infinity Dwindled to Infancy , nicely captures the imaginative challenge posed at Christmas: the mystery of the infinite God become finite man. In truth, however, the challenge to our imaginations has less to do with the how of what the Divine Office calls this admirabile commercium [marvelous exchange] than with the why .
Posit an all-powerful and infinite God, and most of us wouldnt have too much trouble with the idea that such a God could do anything, including coming into the finite world he created. The real question is why such a God would want to do such a thing: to submit his divinity to the limits of our humanity, to dwindle into infancy and then to go farther"to die as a tortured criminal at the hands of his own creatures. Here is the scandal of Christianity. For the answer faith gives to the question of why is salvific love: a love so great that it required, not an argument, but a demonstration.
Eastern Christian theology helps us understand the full dimensions of the why of the Incarnation through its concept of theosis , or divinization: God becomes man so that we might become like God"so that we can live comfortably with God forever. Here, then, is the admirabile commercium : God exchanges his divinity for our humanity, thus enabling us to exchange our weakness for his divine glory"the glory of which the angels sing to the shepherds of Bethlehem. The years St. Paul spent in the desert, pondering just how the Paschal Mystery of Christs death and resurrection, which had been revealed to him on the road to Damascus, fulfilled Gods election of Israel, led the Apostle to the Gentiles to be the first to formulate this exchange: For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich [2 Corinthians 8:9].
The Fathers of the Church took up the theme and developed the idea that, in the exchange, men and women were empowered to become godlike. Thus St. Gregory Nazianzen: Let us seek to be like Christ, because Christ also became like us: to become gods through him since he himself, through us, became a man. He took the worst upon himself to make us a gift of the best. If the language of becoming gods strikes our ears as odd, that may be because we have not quite plumbed the radical depths of the divine love: for in the Incarnation, God so loved the world [John 3:16] that he doubled-down on the divine humility, dwindling himself into infancy so that we could share, really and truly, in the divine life.
The indictment of Christianity that began in the 18th century and metastasized in the 19th was that the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Jesus kept humanity infantile, such that only by throwing the God of the Bible over the side could humanity ever achieve maturity and liberation. This was, of course, a complete inversion of the truth: the Christian faith, proclaimed by the Second Letter of Peter, is that God, by the Incarnation, has made us partakers of the divine nature [2 Peter 1:4]. And in doing so, the divine humility, manifest as love, brings us into the fullness of human maturation and the fullness of true freedom. Thus Pope St. Leo the Great, in the Christmas homily the Church reads in the Office of Readings for Christmas Day, could admonish his Roman congregation in 440: Realize, O Christian, your dignity. Once made a partaker in the divine nature, do not return to your former baseness by a life unworthy of that dignity.
Christmas faith inspires righteous living, not by fear, but by love: the love that expresses itself in history in the humility of the Incarnation and the Holy Birth; the love that speaks of the glory of God, wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger [Luke 2:12].
George Weigel is Distinguished Senior Fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C.
Edward Oakes, Infinity Dwindled to Infancy: A Catholic and Evangelical Christology
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text:
Mountain Hardwear Skyview 3
The Skyview 3 has been discontinued. If you're looking for something new, check out the best 3-4 season convertible tents for 2024.
I purchased this tent in 1996, and I still use it. It has been with me through several backpacking and car-camping trips around the United States. It has been phenomenal in the wind, rain and cold. It's incredibly versatile and durable.
The only repair I've made in the last (nearly) 20 years has been fixing some mesh that I accidentally ripped on one of the doors. It has been worth every penny of the $400 I spent.
- Durable
- Versatile
- Easy assembly
- Slightly heavy for backpacking.
This has been the single best outdoor gear purchase for me — ever. I've never owned an outdoor product that has been consistently reliable for over 15 years. It's been on about 50 trips, so maybe 200-300 nights in the outdoors, and it's not showing a whole lot of wear.
The poles are still fine, although the elastic cords inside are a little looser than before. I'm sure that I will get another tent eventually for backpacking, but I will certainly buy a Mountain Hardwear. Very impressive product.
Source: bought it new
Price Paid: About $400 with footprint
Absolutely the finest tent I have ever used. Tough as nails, creative use of space, extremely versatile tent. 60 sq. ft, super ventilation options, huge 24 sq. ft. vestibule. I don't enjoy being overcrowded and too close to my hiking buddies. I feel about 20 sq. ft. per person is comfortable. Less than this and it better be my wife. Vestibule is big enough for plenty of gear or cooking.
This tent has been extremely storm worthy as all Mountain Hardwear tents are. This tent is palatial for two and quite comfortable for three. I laugh when I see the sq. footage of some "3 person tents." There are only so many ways to make a tent light and tough at the same time. For the sq. footage, this isn't really a heavy tent. Obviously, this isn't a solo tent. When divided between two people this tent is about 1 pound heavier per person than other 3 person tents with smaller vestibules and about 15 less sq. feet of sleeping area. Just absolutely the most versatile and fun to use tent I have ever tried.
Design: 3-4 season convertible
Sleeps: 3
Ease of Setup: easy after 1 practice round
Weight: 10 lbs. complete
Price Paid: $440 US
Best tent by far I've owned. I bought this 20 years ago and still use it. I recently had it on my last weeklong camp trip and I was the only one who stayed bone dry. It's been in 80 mph wind, 18 inches of snow in 12 hours, torrential rain for 3 days straight, and anything else you can throw at it.
- Durable
- Strength
- Dependable
You can't beat this tent. Zip it up tight for winter or zip out the ceiling for summer. I can't say enough good about it.
Source: bought it new
Price Paid: $400
I have had my Skyview 3 for several years now and have found it to be an excellent value. I have spent a few nights in some heavy storm conditions, and found it to be very water tight as well as stable in cross winds. Plenty of room for three people, and the vestibule provides roomy storage for packs and supplies. The convertible nature of this tent allows you to use it in hot weather, or roof panel zipped in for colder weather. I popped for the MH pre-cut footprint, and nice easton pegs and they have worked like a charm! This tent is no lightweight, but parts distributed between 2-3 people make it more than liveable. I have been told that you can actually use the fly and footprint without the tent itself for a lightweight shelter option.
Sleeps: 3
I researched extensively before buying this tent on sale at Mountain Hideout in Dallas (nice folks.) I'm 6'5", which precludes 90 percent of quality tents, so I really like the space the pentagonal shape provides. I can sleep in the middle with my wife and son on either side. I mostly canoe trip so the weight is not a problem, but it packs short (21") which makes it easy to stow in a dry bag. I recently spent a long, rainy night (and day) in it and found zero moisture in the tent, although condensation under the fly was heavy. I like the zip-out panels that allow variable ventilation. I set this tent up and took it down for 10 days straight on vacation in Oregon and never dreaded the task, although it is significantly easier with two people. Excellent purchase.
Design: Convertible
Sleeps: 3
Ease of Setup: not bad with one, easy with two
Weight: 10-11 lbs.
Price Paid: $385
- It's loyal
- It's a perfectionist
This tent has been to Yosemite, Adirondacks, Zion, Catskills, Colorado Rockies, the Utah desert, Canada, everywhere. Four seasons for sure.
I've carried it on my own for every trip and haven't had a complaint. It's been with me since I was 8, and although I've replaced every other piece of gear I've owned, this has never gone out of date.
It's repelled rain, sand, snow, and a bear. It may also be resistant to small arms fire, I just can't bring myself to test the theory.
Source: received it as a personal gift
This is an awesome family car camping tent. It is very roomy with lots of ventilation and two doors. The only negatives are: It is heavy. Not something you would want to carry by yourself. I supose a group of say, three backpackers could easily carry a portion. The tent stakes that came with the tent suck. I got some Moss groundhog stakes on closeout at REI when I got the Skyview. These are good, sturdy, stakes. Lots of room, especially for two people. Also like the large vestibule for our Golden retriever.
Price Paid: $350
This tent is plagued with quality. I've recently discovered the Mtn. H'wear product line and am developing faith in the gear. Plenty of room for 2 or 3 with ALL backpacking gear. The zip out roof panels make clear nights dreamy with plenty of ventilation. Multiple entrances so you or your partner don't get disturbed during late nite bladder attacks. The vestibule has adequate room with a window but is tricky to set up. Haven't had the opportunity to test hurricane proofness, but it seems solid. So far...I LIKE IT!!
Design: 4 season zip out roof
Sleeps: 3+
Ease of Setup: easy w/1 piece o' cake w/2 ('bout 5 min)
Weight: around 10 lbs.
Price Paid: $425
Awesome tent. In the summer it has great ventilation and makes star watching a dream. With the fly on it is snug, stable and warm. I saw many other tents rock and blow over in high winds when mine didn't budge at all. The vestibule is really nice and I love the clear window. This tent is awesome and ignore the price, saving a few bucks can make your outings miserable.
Design: Convertible
Sleeps: 3
Ease of Setup: 5 minutes by myself/ 30 minutes if my wife and 3 yr old try to help
Weight: 10 lbs
Price Paid: $440
I've owned them all, and this is the best tent by far, hands down. Plenty of room, large vestibule area for gear, ease of setup, ventilation is incredible. lots of "bells and whistles." If you want the best, Mountain Hardwear IS IT. Try it and you will never go back. These guys know how to make functional gear.Thank you Mountain Hardwear. "Never Change."
Design: Convertable
Sleeps: 3
Ease of Setup: after 1 practice round it was a breeze
Weight: 9 lb's
Price Paid: $400 w/10% discount
A superb tent for a max of three people. Weight is alot, but divides up easy. 60 sq ft plus a 21 sq ft vestibule allow for plenty of room. Get the footprint and tent can set up with just the foorprint, fly, and poles. A pricey, but well worth-it buy
Design: 3-4 season convertible
Sleeps: 3-4
Ease of Setup: Sets up by one person in an easy 5 to 10 minutes
Weight: 9lbs 7oz
Price Paid: $424.99
Awesome tent. I found it a little heavy, but it did well (dry and stable) in rain/snow/ice storms. Roomy, functional, and cool looking. Best tent I've ever had.
Sleeps: 3
Ease of Setup: Easy
Weight: ~12lbs.
Price Paid: $289
Your Review
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Historic Range: $384.95-$385.00 Reviewers Paid: $289.00-$440.00 |


text:
All children enrolled in the program will participate in the Child Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) sponsored by the United States Department of Agriculture at no cost to the parent. The Nutrition Program will provide 1/2 to 2/3 of each child's daily nutritional requirements and promote physical growth and development. Meals are served to all children according to the time in attendance.
The Children will receive either breakfast and snack or lunch and snack depending on the session. If they attend the Wrap Program, the children will receive breakfast, lunch and snacks. Monthly menus are posted on parent boards and in classrooms. Menus will be provided upon request. Parents are encouraged to review the menu and provide suggestions of meals to be served to the children.
Meals are served Family Style with the teacher, parent or volunteer providing supervision. Children are encouraged to try what is served and are not forced to finish their food. Meal times are pleasant for the children and teachers.
Meals and snacks are culturally and developmentally appropriate for the children being served and will meet the nutritional requirements. New foods are introduced during mealtime and conversations foster socialization.
A 6-week menu cycle is planned based on the CACFP Meal Pattern and in accordance with the National Dietary Guidelines. Nutrition Education and food activity for the children are included in the Daily Lesson Plan.
All meals are prepared at each site.


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[Page 34]
Translated by Haya Newman
Edited by Rachel Mines and Aviva Tirosh
[Rabbi Yaakov Khaim Baruch Terushkin translated by Rina Liebeskind]
HaRav HaShkudi, Rabbi Yechiel Michel Hovsha, zl
On the 25th of Elul, (Sept 12,1917), the famous and respected Rabbi Yechiel Michel Hovsha passed away at the age of 72 after a short illness. Born to a respected family in Kelm (Kelme), when he was 26 in 1872, he became a rabbi in the town of Parnu in Estonia. From his childhood he excelled in his deep and wide knowledge of the Torah and also in general secular studies. Thanks to his talent as an exceptionally powerful speaker, he obtained a world-wide reputation.
With his external appearance and his pleasant manner, he won peoples' hearts, and the authorities treated him with great respect. He used this influence for the betterment of his brothers who were without privileges. The elders of Parnu can tell long and loving stories about Rabbi Yechiel Michel Hovsha's activities for his community.
In the month of Tevet, 1880, he was called to the rabbinical throne of Shkud, where he lived and was active for 38 years until his passing. He was active not only as a rabbi, but also as a public figure. All the charity organizations in town functioned under his enthusiastic leadership, and they thrived even during difficult times.
When he visited London as a public servant, the Orthodox community there, with the agreement of the Chief Rabbi and with the mediation of Mr. Shmuel Montague and Herman Landoy (zl), wanted him to become the Chief Rabbi of London. Rabbi Yechiel Michel made the condition that he would be the only rabbinic authority in issues relating to kosher slaughter. The Chief Rabbi did not accept that condition, and therefore Rabbi Yechiel Michel rejected the position.
In spite of his many worries and wide-ranging activities, he found time to publish a number of articles in 1888. He published a long article in Hatzfira (The Siren) under the pen name of Small Rabbi. At the end of the article, the editor added some words of support and appreciation, and remarked with grief that this generation was not able to fulfill these ideals.
In 1898, he published a booklet titled And Samuel Died, which was a eulogy to the passing of Rabbi Shmuel Muhaliver, ztzl (may this righteous man be a blessing).
In 1898, a section of a lengthy book on Jewish law and Halacha, titled Michel Ma'yim, was published. This was received with much interest, just like his previous literary works.
In1905, during the Delitchi debate, he came out with an anti-Delitchi book called Babel, the Righteous Commentary to the Bible, which was translated into German.
The Rabbi Hovsha published an entire row of books. Among them is Belief in the Future, which dealt with the issue of building a Jewish High Court. In 1911, he published an article on this topic in the Berlin weekly The Hebrew, where he called for the revival and establishment of a Sanhedrin in Jerusalem, and even made suggestions on how to make this happen. He received letters from all parts of the world, sent by learned people, the greatest of their generation, who supported him in this endeavour. He was especially interested in the advice of Rabbi Aaron Cohen from Cairo, who promised to stand by his side and assist him. But his economic situation did not allow him to fulfill his ideas and aspirations.
The death of Rabbi Hovsha was a great loss to the Shkud community, where he received the full trust and deep love of the town's inhabitants. He was the father of the poor people of the town, all those who were oppressed. He especially excelled in his blessed activities during the war. He carried on his shoulders all the social activities for the town's poor people. God will comfort all the mourners of Zion for this loss, because Rabbi Hovsha was an asset to all of Israel. May the name of this tzaddik be for a blessing.
[Pages 36-37]
Rabbi Yaakov Khaim Baruch Terushkin hyd, Lithuania 1917-1941
This memorial book is different from other memorial books that are about entire communities or villages. This book is made to commemorate all members of a specific synagogue, Congregation Shkud. In the introduction it is mentioned that the town of Shkud was located on the border of Germany, Slovakia and Russia. Shkud is referred to in the Hebrew as an ayarah which is more of a town rather than a city.Rabbi Terushkin was a member of a family that was mostly agricultural, farmers and tradesmen. He received his education at many rabbinical yeshivas and places for Torah study in Russia and in Poland. He was chosen to be a rabbi in the town of Shkud immediately after the death of Rabbi Yechiel Michel Hovsha in 1917. He was chosen for that role and stayed there until the disaster, the destruction of Shkud by the Nazis.
He was married to the rabbi's daughter. Her name was Cheina and when it was time for her to come to marriage, her father, Rabbi Yechiel Michel visited many yeshivot and when he got to the Slobodka Yeshiva, the head of the yeshiva pointed out Yaakov Khaim Terushkin and said that he would be the best candidate for the marriage. He chose him, he looked at him, he saw that he was a good student in Torah, he was good looking and he had impeccable manners. And then he introduced them and the minute that they saw each other they knew that this was meant to be, they were beshert.
His personality was so outgoing that very quickly the people of Shkud were seeing him as their spiritual leader and he had a huge influence on all the different aspects of the town and everything that was happening in the town itself. He gave many speeches and he bought their hearts, his spirit was so impetuous that everyone was always following him around. He was mostly talking a lot about how to be kind to one another and he liked to help people to fix their differences and if they had any issues he would be the one mediating between them.
He also had incredible patience, one of the qualities that everyone noticed, and even though he was very big on keeping the Shabbat holy he tried not to fight with the youth who were choosing that day for sports. He knew that this was something that he had to do in order for the people to continue to still have some sort of k'dusha, that the Torah tells us to keep the Shabbat holy but he didn't want to take the sports away from the youth because he knew that was what they were going to do.
He didn't stay in his own little world; he was outgoing and gave from his time to conduct many different kinds of research, he was exposed to various sciences. He was not only very spiritual but he was considered very good looking. His personality also allowed him to see far into the future to see that the Zionist movement was going to gather speed. He supported the the Zionist movement. He said that he felt the ground was coming from under the feet of the Jews who were living in the Diaspora, and he educated his people toward the chag sh'ma, about the ability to get to Israel and become olim. Three of his girls are in Israel now. There was a lot of objection at the time to the Zionist movement but he was a strong supporter of Zionism, he wasn't afraid to show his views even though there was a lot of commotion around the ZIonist movement during those times.
When anyone came from Israel to Shkud they were his guest. He would have them at his house, he would host them, he would listen to them and want to know every single thing that happened in the land of Israel. His house was like an open house. Anyone and everyone who wanted to be part of the Zionist movement were welcome. When he was in the shul he would have some sort of a gathering and every time they would talk about Zionism and the new things going on in Israel.
He wanted the youth to be strong and to be tied down to the country and the community of Shkud so he created what is called a kloizen. A kloizen is like a group of classes and any topics that relate to the Torah. He would have courses and classes and people came to what was like his own yeshiva. They would rejoice in the perfume of Torah seen through his wisdom and all enjoyed being around him.
He was a very very great rabbi with so many aspects of giving to the community that he lived in, it is really apparent that he was doing a lot of things at different levels. He didn't just meet people's spiritual needs, he was feeding them information, encouraging them to have a political stance, he was trying to tie down the youth so they would have roots, some solid ground for the future.
[Page 37]
Rabbi Chaim Aharon Hovsha
On the 16th of Iyar, 1930, Reb Chaim Aharon Hovsha passed away in Shkud at the age of 61. He was born on the 3rd of Nissan, 1869 in Shaviln (Sabile), Latvia, to his father who married the daughter of the Rabbi Damta. When he was six years old, the family moved to the town Frenu in Lapland. There, his father obtained for him a very strict, orthodox, religious education. At the start of WWI when the new Zionist Jewish organizations started to evolve in the town, he took upon himself as an orthodox Jew, but also a nationalist, the leadership of the organization Mizrachi. He organized it and was loyally active in it until his last day.
When Keren Hayesod [a Zionist organization] was organized in our town, he became active in that organization as well, and he carried on his shoulders the burden of fundraising. However, his cruel illness, which was severe in his last years of his life, did not enable him to pursue his blessed work.
Our town is obliged to give thanks to Rabbi Chaim for establishing the elementary and high school and for all his activities for their development and prosperity.
As a teacher for Torah studies in both schools, he worked devotedly until his last day. He strenuously educated the students in the spirit of religious, nationalistic, and Zionistic values. In his last days, he became famous for his creation of a 1000-year calendar, in which he proved his power in religious and secular subjects.
Following the publication of this calendar, the Histradut of Zionist Women appointed him as editor of their own wall calendar, Ben Shemen.
With his death, our town has lost one of its chosen activists.
I would like my many students to eternalize his name in the golden book, because that was the will of the deceased. (A passage in Yiddishe Stimme, p. 2319; by Ben Ishai.)
[Page 38]
Yisrael (Ben Rabbi) Isaiah Shaf (zl)
Among the wise, educated scholars of Shkud, he was a teacher and author. Until the elimination of the cheders, he taught small children in the cheder, where studies went on from morning till dark. He worked as a teacher in the pre-Gymnasium of Dr. Karsht, and he continued in the Hebrew pre-Gymnasium as a teacher of the Bible and Hebrew literature.
He was a dedicated and avid Zionist with heart and soul. He also educated his students in Zionism, collected postage stamps, and sold them, dedicating the earnings to the Jewish National Fund. He was the town's first representative of the fund, and he himself used to empty the blue fundraising boxes in the houses until the organization was established particularly for this purpose. His published books are Ehud Ben Gerah, Aksa Bat Kaleb, Hayated, and more. Translations from the prose of the Hebrew literature and a lot of handwritten documents remained after him, which remained unpublished because of his sudden and brief illness. The lonely light that was lit until the late hours of the night hinted to the people who were walking in the town square that Rabbi Yisrael Shaf was pondering various ideas and setting the foundations for a new creation.
He passed away in March of 1938, and all the Shkudders grieved his death. Also his brother, Yosef Shaf zl, was known as an author of proverbs and sayings. Many of them were published in the newspaper, Yiddishe Stimme, in Kovne (Kaunas).
[Page 39]
Shkud, 22 Sivan, 1935
To my student and my friend Alexander Pinta, Meir Teil, and Shimon Tsurlung[?], Hello and greetings. From the depths of my heart I express to you my thanks for the . on the day I became 70 years old. From all the letters . (about 40), I did not enjoy such a sweet pleasure as I enjoyed from your few lines, because I'm sure you didn't write just out of duty, but rather, because you felt an inner need in your soul to say whatever you expressed, your memory will be imprinted in my heart all the days that God will grant me. May all the wishes of your heart be fulfilled. |
With feelings of gratitude and appreciation
Your teacher and friend Yisrael Shaf |
[Page 40]
Shlomo Ben Yehuda Yudelman hyd
He was born on the 13th of Adar, 1912, and like all the town's children, he studied in the cheder, and afterwards he went on to the Hebrew Gymnasium. With the awakening of the Halutz [Zionist] movement in the towns of Lithuania, he left his home in Shkud and went to prepare himself for a trade in Kashrut in Memel (Klaipeda). He was one of the first people in the town to do so.
During his period of preparation, he devoted himself to the United Kibbutz [armed] movement, and in the year 1933 he made aliya to Israel and joined a unit of that movement in Nes-Tziona. This unit experienced severe hardships and went through a period of trouble; there were many desertions. The members of the unit praised Shlomo, who was always in a very good mood. He was sure that the difficult situation would pass, and they continued their explorations. He fulfilled many duties, and was especially active in the area of security. He didn't like to stand out. He willingly guided every new member, and, first and foremost, demanded from himself. He was not afraid of new projects or enterprises, and strove to learn and accomplish new activities.
Suddenly he disappeared from his unit, and only a few knew where he had been sent. The days then were days of keeping watch and training, and Shlomo had been sent to do security duties. He was among the 42 prisoners in Acre, and his imprisonment separated him from his wife and young child. During that time, his unit settled in the upper Galilee, near Kibbutz Dafna, and was sad that he was unable to participate in the building of the kibbutz. But while sitting in prison, behind bars, his hands were not idle, and he even encouraged the rest of his colleagues in his unit. With longing, he awaited the day of release, so that he would be able to return to his family's arms and to his friends in Kibbutz Dafna. Great was the joy in the kibbutz on his release, and there was a big celebration in his honour.
At the head of 30 colleagues, Shlomo was sent to help establish a new settlement, Ne'ot Mordechai. With the morning sunlight, the camp was established, and the friends who had been sent to help prepared to return home in the afternoon. All of a sudden gunfire started, and one enemy bullet from ambush pierced Shlomo's heart. On the day of demonstration that took place in Tel Aviv against deporting the Ma'apilim [illegal Jewish refugees] that had come to the country, the terrible news arrived. He fell in the spring of his life; he was only 35. May his soul be remembered.
[Page 41]
Avraham Kaplanski zl
He was born in Shkud on August 9, 1919, to his parents Yaakov and Tovah. At home he received a traditional education. He completed Hebrew school and continued studying in the trade school Ort, but he didn't complete his education because he made aliya. In Palestine in 1938, he studied in a trade school near the Technion in Haifa, and finished successfully. In particular, he specialized in the engraving of delicate machinery.
The days were days of worry in the Jewish community, and every boy with a warm Jewish heart was called to help the nation; and Avremele, a name that was in everyone's mouth, joined the division of the Haganah, Khish, and completed the second national course for military commanders in Joara (in Ramot Menashe). He stayed for a short time in Jerusalem, and filled a position on behalf of the Haganah as a watchman and worker in a factory on the Dead Sea. In the autumn of 1940, he was drafted into unit 606 of the British Army. He served in Egypt, Cypress, Greece, and Crete, taking British courses in sabotage and bomb disposal on land and water. He achieved the level of Sergeant-Major. He was gifted with quick understanding, and here is a typical incident.
The army was retreating from Crete, and the last ship was leaving. The chance to leave on that ship was desperate and hopeless. When he heard that the medical unit had been called aboard, and there was no reply even to the second call, he answered: Yes Sir. He instructed his subordinates to throw out their uniform decorations, and this is how he saved himself and his subordinates.
After a short rest in Palestine, he rejoined Khish, participated in combat in Italy, and received a Silver Star from the American Army for bravery in combat.
And here is a clip from the Order of the Day of the US Army:
There was fierce combat near the Senio River and the enemy was dug in very strongly. Despite being gravely injured, Sergeant Kaplanski showed bravery and steadfastness, which encouraged his people to advance in spite of unceasing gunfire that rained on them from enemy machine guns, and in spite of danger on the road, which was heavily mined. During all that action, Kaplanski didn't attend to his wounds, and he walked at the head of his group until he fell from loss of blood. By his brave behaviour, Sergeant Kaplanski was a source of encouragement to his people, and in spite of the fact that his small group suffered losses, it succeeded in advancing to the enemy outposts and forced them to retreat.During the time of his army service, he married a woman in 1944, and only two years later, he was released from the British Army and started building a family life. He joined a cooperative of released army personnel to develop the beach Galya [in Haifa], and worked for a while for the electric company in Haifa.
In the beginning of the War of Independence, he volunteered for the Israeli defense army, even before there was a compulsory draft, and he was made an adjutant of Unit 21 of the Carmeli Brigade. He participated in the defense of Ramat Yochanan, the takeover of Acre, and the liberation of the Western Galilee. He fell in the battle for Jenin on June 3, 1949, leaving a wife and 3-month-old daughter, named after his mother Tovah.
When the bones of all the fallen soldiers were gathered by the Army rabbinate, they were buried in a mass military grave at the foot of Mount Hertzl in Jerusalem, and he was buried on August 3, 1950.
His name is mentioned on a handmade tombstone to the sons of Kiryat Chaim, and the tombstone is on his grave. It is also mentioned in the Yizkor Book Heroes of Yesterday in the 25th paragraph of HaGilgal.
May his name be for a blessing.
Shmariahu [author]
[Page 42]
David Davidov hyd
He was amongst the most prominent business people in activities for the Zionist trust funds in his party, Tzionim Klalim. He especially loved to perform before the youth and encourage them to action in favour of Eretz Yisrael. His typical saying to the youth was, you are the Cedars of Lebanon: everything depends on you. He was the chairman of the Maccabi.
[Page 43]
Tzvi Yosselevitz, zl
He served as the representative to the Jewish National Fund from the day of his arrival until his departure from the town. He also acted as an unpaid volunteer for Hayesod Fund. He earned his living by repairing teeth. During this time, the funds' income increased. In general, he had a lot of influence; he was a friendly and popular man, and always ready to help others. He also had great organizational talent.
Messengers from Eretz-Yisrael found in his home an open door and friendly advice. He left Shkud in 1936 and went to England. The inhabitants of the town held a big farewell party when he left.
Michal Fogelman hydHe was an active businessman. He was the head of the Folksbank and the pre-Gymnasium. He put a lot of work and energy into establishing the school. He participated in establishing the operation Ezra [Help]. He did a lot to expand the income of Ezra, and to improve the social services in the town. He was very involved in the public life of Shkud. In 1941 he was exiled to Siberia.
Rabbi Yaakov Kaplanski, hydHe was a clever and superlative scholar; for a long time, he served as a preacher in the synagogue in the New Town. He was active on the town's Jewish Community council. He blew the Shofar, and after the prayer, he used to blow the Shofar for sick people in their homes.
[Page 44]Bera Zusya Peres, zl
Bera Zusya was a well-known welcomer of guests. He took the responsibility of arranging Shabbes meals for poor people who arrived in the town. He used to visit various homes to solicit invitations for guests, and he would direct the poor according to the invitation slips that he had gathered. If somebody was in trouble, they used to go to Bera Zusya, and he would immediately give help and advice. He was a known leader of prayers. On holidays, he used to pass by the Torah stand in the New and Old towns on a volunteer basis.
Among others, we should note Mendel Hatzkels, Yaakov Moshe Yankelowitz, Meyer Henoch Bloch, Eliyahu Tanur, Yishua Helman.
Activists in the youth circle were Abraham Bunis, Meyer Hovsha, Sheina Baskind, and Yosef Taitz.
[Hebrew pages 45 - 48, Yiddish pages 58 - 62]
Eliyahu Reif
Translated by Eitan Reif (grandson of Eliyahu Reif)
On the 22nd of June 1941 the inhabitants rose from their beds as has always been, and none of them had any premonition of the horrible tragedy about to befall the tranquil shtetl of Shkud. Only at noon the news spread quickly of bloody battles between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany, and that Germans crossed the river in Bayorn and have already penetrated Kretingen on their way to Dorbian.
It is impossible to describe the panic which rose among the people of Jewish Shkud. Some of them began hastily to pack their belongings and leave their hometown in an unknown route, with no clear destination, not knowing where they would get to, or even if their lives may be saved there. Others, on the other hand, claimed that there was no danger to the inhabitants, and at the worst they would have to work for Hitler
In the meantime, the Soviet garrison left the shtetl, en route to Latvia (the Latvian border lay two kilometers away from Shkud).
The cursed Lithuanians, may their name turn to dust, were jubilant, as they longed for the day when they will break free from the Soviet burden and have the chance to quench their thirst with innocent Jewish blood.
Their second objective was achieved, to our chagrin, completely. On that very Sunday, the 22nd of June, at half past two in the afternoon, the German armoured column entered Shkud.
The Lithuanians, the friends of Jews only yesterday, commissars of workshops and factories, those who for years made their living from Jews and were counted among their friends, all welcomed the Nazi troops with flowers and cries of joy, and raised the national flags on their roofs (they were shamefully forced to remove those after a while).
With the typical Lithuanian self degradation, with flattery and fawning, they fulfilled every wish of their liberators, pointing with mockery and cynicism at every Jew how happened to walk in the street.
One hundred Germans remained in the shtetl as garrison with their commandant, and the rest of the German battalions moved forward en route to Prekoln and Libave in Latvia.
For a full twenty four hours German troops kept passing through the shtetl. On the next morning an order was published by the German authorities, forbidding the carrying and keeping of arms by the civilian population. The order set a deadline for turning those in, and added: for every German a hundred Jews will pay with their lives. In spite of this, many of Shkud's Jews returned home, with their mood very low.
The Jews were immediately taken out for hard labour. The good Lithuanians from only a while ago forced them to into degrading and pointless chores, absolutely useless from every perspective, other than to simply humiliate the Jews.
Most painful was when a Lithuanian hooligan, only a few days ago a Jew's classmate, was the one to harass him the worst. On the whole, the Germans were assisted by the local Lithuanians in pillaging and looting, and even turned upon women and children. With those sights the Lithuanians crossed every line in their audacity. This surge of abuse continued until Saturday, the 28th of June.
In the meanwhile, the Red Army soldiers, who vacated Shkud and regrouped in the surrounding woods, regained their strength and decided to retake the shtetl. They learnt that the garrison is small and so, in the early evening hours of Saturday, the 28th of June, they returned to Shkud.
A vicious combat erupted in the center of the new town between the Red Army soldiers, in full battle gear, and the Germans. Within minutes several fires broke out in the market square, the long street, the Yelokian street and Maisad street.
Nearly the entire new town was engulfed in flames from the German hand grenades. This battle claimed casualties on both sides, among them the German commandant.
The Russian fighters outnumbered the Germans. Yet, on Sunday morning a German reinforcement arrived, and the Red Army soldiers, who fought heroically, were forced to surrender. With the fighting over, many civilians were found to have been killed, among them a number of Jews, together with the Rabbi of Shkud, Rabbi Terushkin ztsl, fallen on Maisad street.
That Sunday the fate of the Jews of Shkud was sealed.
The German authorities accused the Jews for having informed the remains of the Red Army battalions in the surrounding woods of the small size of the German garrison. Those yearning for Jewish blood have thus achieved their goal, and the order was given.
All Jewish men were concentrated in warehouses, one of which was the Hall of the Shaulists, while the women and children were incarcerated inside the large synagogue in the old town (were the Germans later stored fodder for animals).
And already on the 29th of June the bitter end came for the Shkud community.
In the evening hours a group of men was led to the fields of Zelikovitz, a short distance away from the warehouses, and they were ordered to dig large pits. When the work was done, groups of fifty men were brought there and shot on the spot. For an entire night drunken Lithuanians, under German leadership, led the Jews of Shkud to extermination.
The poor Jews were beaten viciously before their death by the Lithuanians, who brutalized them like beasts in human form.
Yitzhak Malkenzohn, hero of the shtetl, who only recently purchased the fields on which the Jewish blood was now shed, sprang upon a Lithuanian and strangled him with his bare hands before being shot in the head by the Germans. The vengeful Jew thus fell too, but he has not only avenged his own blood with his heroism, but the blood of the entire community. May his memory be respected!
At the end of the nightmare the German set aside four Jews, who were forced to clean the Jewish houses in the old town and prepare them as dwellings for the German soldiers, as the houses of the old town were not damaged by the fighting. The four Jews ordered to do the work Reuven Gilder, Moshe Leib Grinblat, Netanel Turek and Josef beRabi Yehuda Levin, later shared their brother's fate.
Chief of the Lithuanian hooligans and shooters was Petras Bitleras, a barber from the old town. Petras, who grew up with the Jewish youth of Shkud, was proficient in Yiddish, made a living from Jewish customers and from time to time invited to their table. His dream for the last 29 years finally came true. Now his hands were dipped in the blood of Jewish men and children. Cursed may he be in his life and death and his memory to ashes.
As for the women and children, they lay for a week inside the old synagogue, suffering starvation and torture. After a week the women were grouped together, young and elderly, healthy and ill, with their child beside them, in their arms or in their womb, and were all ran to Dorbian.
Lithuanians surrounded the crowd on all sides, and those women who could not continue on their way were shot on the spot. The Lithuanians claimed later that they were ordered to do exactly that.
The women remaining in the synagogue were brought to Dimitrova farm, located between Dorbian and Kretingen (where communists from the district were at on time administratively shipped to). There these women worked in agriculture, in inhumane conditions. Indeed, their fate was not different from that which came to their husbands and families. In the autumn of that year, when the Germans performed the Aktzia in the Telzsh district, the innocent women of Shkud were shot together with their children. May there memory be respected.
This, then, is the story of the tearful ending of our shtetl Shkud, annihilated so tragically, with the blood of its Jewish inhabitants spilt on its streets. I gathered the information about it from local Lithuanians who happened to arrive in Shavli during the German occupation, while I was there.
It should be pointed that a part of Shkud's Jewish youth, which escaped together with the Red Army troops, fell in the battlefields under the flag of the Lithuanian Division. These young people of Shkud fell as heroes with guns in their hands.
Few of Shkud's Jews who came back to the shtetl, walked its streets like shadows from the past, treading on their brothers' graves, for there is not a spot on Shkud's land that has not been soaked with the blood of its Jews.
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text:
Think outside the box in a two-session workshop with eco-artist and New York Based sculptor Susan Benarcik in a make-and-take workshop Eco Fusion: 3-D Forms with Natural & Repurposed Materials at the Delaware Center for Horticulture in Wilmington, where you design and fabricate your own small sculpture while learning to incorporate harvested and found materials from your garden and green spaces with curious items from your drawers, tool sheds, and recycle bins. Bring wire clippers, scissors, garden shears, and materials that lend themselves to repurposing and sharing. Some natural materials provided. The work of artist Susan Benarcik is—ahem–deeply rooted in horticulture and design. Her concern for the environment is evident in her 3-dimensional sculptural installations, compositions that provoke the viewer to observe and reflect on human experiences individual, social, and environmental. Part printmaker and part sculptor, Benarcik takes elemental forms of the natural and man-made world into her studio, then carefully transforms them by stacking, stringing, layering, knotting and weaving them into dimensional sculpture for public and private spaces. In the hands of this artist, simple materials become contemplative compositions for interior and exterior application that are highly tactile and evocative. They evidence a fondness and respect for the natural world, delight and bring equilibrium to our senses by allowing the natural world become part of our daily cognitive experience. It happens Feb. 18 and Feb. 25. To register, go to thedch.org.
» for more from The Arts Buzz, click here.
Feb. 13 |
[IN Wilmington Promotional Pick of the Week] Meet new folks and learn some fun facts about love and dating in our natural world during Science After Dark: Evolution of Love… More | |
Poor little Alex. This goes so beyond a bad hair day. See Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day at the DuPont Theatre… More |
Feb. 15 |
Explore eco-friendly landscape techniques with UD's Susan Barton and Jules Bruck during Sustainable Suburbia at the stunning Mt. Cuba Center in Hockessin… More |
Feb. 15-16 |
Delaware Division of the Arts individual artist fellow in folk art Knicoma Frederick exhibits at the Mezzanine Gallery in Wilmington. His colorful images may wake something inside you… More | |
Students from universities and colleges in Delaware and Maryland exhibit across all media in Hot off the Press at the Rehoboth Art League… More |
Etch A Sketch: People, Presidents and Places features more than 50 portraits created on the old-school toy by artist Tim George. See it at the Delaware Children's Museum… More |
FreshPAINT: African-American Art at UD Exhibits works from the impressive Paul R. Jones Collection of African-American Art… More | |
The New Candlelight Theatre starts its season with a tale of unemployed men who grin and, well, bare it in "The Full Monty." Prepare yourself… More |
See hot young talent on the rise when all six DCAD majors are represented in the annual student show at the Delaware College of Art and Design… More | |
Clear Space Theatre Company presents a new version of the Broadway hit "The Odd Couple." Felix and Oscar's famous differences never cease to amuse… More | |
Drop in to see all things red during "Mad About Red," a juried exhibit at Newark Arts Alliance to celebrate the month of romance... More | |
Philly artist Emily Erb applies the Indian technique of silk painting to her work in "Legal Tender," which examines the art and use of currency. It opens at Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts tonight... More |
Faces of the Collection is a multicultural exploration of the human face from works owned by the University of Delaware at the Old College Gallery... More |


text:
In this page several methods are used to estimate the range of the rocket used in the chemical attack ("UMLACA"), resulting in a final estimate of 2.5 km. The methods:
- The model design was entered into a rocket simulation software. Two engines were examined - one smaller than the real engine, and one larger. This resulted in a range of 2.0-2.5 km.
- For verification, designs of four other rockets with known ranges were entered, giving results accurate within 20%. Additionally, the parameters of engines in the simulation were compared to known military rockets, and were shown to have the same efficiency.
- Two videos of launches of a similar rocket model were analyzed, resulting in a range of 2.2-2.3 km.
- A comparative analysis to another rocket of similar size, while not accurate enough to provide a range estimate, proves that the UMLACA could not have been launched from the Syrian army bases north of Damascus, as frequently claimed.
- An analysis indicating rockets of this design are intended for short-range missions.
- A full bottom-up analysis of the rocket, estimating its range at around 2.5 km.
- A calculation placing an upper theoretical limit of 3.5 km if the rocket is assumed to be subsonic, as implied by its design.
- Most importantly, this page has seen thousands of visits over several weeks, and no one has provided any evidence that contradicts this estimate (here or anywhere else). If you have it, please share.
- Update - The same conclusion was later reached by two experts: Theodore Postol, a Professor at MIT (quoted in the Hersh report), and Richard Lloyd, a warhead technology consultant (quoted in the Brown Moses blog, and later in the NY Times). It was also later confirmed by the UN to be a "fair guess".
Method 1 - OpenRocket Simulation
Note: Method 5 below is considered a more reliable simulation. Feel free to skip this section.
Following the advice of Amund Hesbol, I used the OpenRocket simulation software to simulate the path of an UMLACA.
Here is my design:
I made the following selections:
- All measurements according to the UN report.
- 2mm steel for the material, which is my estimate based on the main body remains found in impact sites. The engine tube is much thicker, but when I tried 5mm the rocket lost control.
- Added 60 kg weight to the body (the weight of sarin).
- Added a plastic nose to improve aerodynamics (about 10% improvement to distance)
- Motor (in gray): Cesaroni Technology Inc. 21062-03400-IM-P
- 40 degree launch angle, which gave the maximal distance.
The simulation now gave the rocket a distance of 2.5 km.
To assess the general accuracy of this simulation software, I ran simulations for 4 artillery rockets with known distances, including a Falagh-2 333 mm rocket, and got results that are accurate within 20%.
Update: Several people have raised the concern that the civilian engines in the simulation may be less powerful than military engines. Scarlet Pimpernel found some great information on the total impulse (the aggregate of force impacted by the engine over its burn time) and the propellant weight of 3 military rockets (different versions of Grad). They show the same efficiency as the civilian engines in the simulation, proving this is not a concern.
Method 2 - Videos Analysis
In an anonymous comment below, I was referred to this video from December 2012 (Update: the video was removed, if anyone has a copy, please share):
It unmistakably shows a real UMLACA launch with a conventional warhead. It is described as a rocket shot from Mazzeh airport into Daraya (Update: Brown Moses managed to prove the source is Mazzeh airport). I took the following screenshots:
Since we have video and audio for both launch and impact, we can use the sound delay to estimate range. The sound delay for launch is 4 seconds and for the impact is 3 seconds, and speed of sound is 340 m/s. If we assume the rocket passes exactly above the camera, this comes out to 2.4 km, or 2.2-2.3 km if we assume a slight angle (as seems to be the case).
Of course, to trust sound delay we must ensure the audio and video are not out of sync. This is ruled out at time 0:04 when the sound of the camera movement is heard in sync.
These numbers also match well the distance from the center of Mazzeh to the center of Daraya.
It should be noted that while this does not indicate a maximum range, it does give an indication of the typical range.
Update: Brown Moses has found another video of a conventional UMLACA. Unlike the previous one, it does not show the launch so it's harder to use it for range estimation. However, the cameraman seems to be below the Apogee, as was the case in the first video, and the time delay from the impact site is 3.5 seconds - also similar. So this adds another indication that the typical range is around 2.5 km.
Update 2: HRI found another video of a conventional UMLACA launch.
Brown Moses tweeted to Amund Hesbol that the range for the lighter sarin warhead should be longer than the HE version seen in the video. This makes perfect sense, so I prepared a simulation for the HE version. Using TNT's density I reached a warhead weight of 170 kg (including the steel casing), which is 100 kg more than the sarin warhead. I then optimized the fins and nose as done for the sarin version, and got this:
This reached a range of a bit under 1700m, which is a ratio of 1.5 to the sarin version. So applying that to the 2.2-2.3 km range from the video, we get 3.2-3.4 km.
Three things to note about this calculation:
- The software chose to place the fins at an extreme angle of 15 degrees, probably since this is the only way it would stabilize. Since we know the fins are not slanted in the real UMLACA, we can assume the designers managed to stabilize it some other way - and indeed it seems very stable in the video. If substantial energy is lost to spinning it would mean a lower ratio than 1.5.
- The longer warhead also allows for a longer engine. If this was done, it would also result in a ratio lower than 1.5.
- If the sarin version was a refilled WP warhead that wasn't redesigned for the lighter load, it may have lost some range to drag and instability.
Update: See Method 5 below, which invalidates this calculation. The sarin version does not have a longer range, since it also has a smaller motor.
Method 3 - Comparison to Falaq-2
For people who find the calculations here too complex or don't trust the results, I thought of the following thought experiment:
- They are roughly similar in length and diameter.
- The Falaq-2 warhead is a bit heavier: 117 kg compared to around 90 kg for the sarin version of UMLACA (including the two large steel plates).
- The Falaq-2 engine is much larger. To calculate its volume I'll assume a length of 90cm (from the diagram), and 7mm width of the casing, resulting in an internal radius of 16 cm. So the volume is: Pi*0.16*0.16*0.9 = 72 liters (0.072 cubic meters).
- Based on the UN report and photographs, the UMLACA's engine volume would be Pi*0.055*0.055*1.34 = 12.7 liters. (18 liters if the engine extends into the warhead).
Method 4 - Comparison to SLUFAE
Two prominent features of the UMLACA are the oversized warhead and non-aerodynamic design. There are very few rockets with similar design, with the most similar one being the US SLUFAE minefield-clearing rocket, described in this patent. In this related patent it is described as having a range of 700 meters.
While not something that can be used to directly estimate the UMLACA range, it indicates that rockets designed in this manner are intended for short-range missions. If anyone knows of a medium or long range rocket with a similar design, please share - so far none were found.
Method 5 - Full Bottom-Up Analysis
Since some people are still not convinced, I decided to do a full open calculation. Its importance is in providing detailed insight into the calculations and sensitivities, thus increasing our confidence in the accuracy of the result.
To keep a safe margin, we will assume a few ideal conditions:
- The engine extends all the way into the warhead.This is calculated below to be 1.83 m.
- Launch angle is optimized for distance.
- Trajectory is perfect. The rocket does not lose energy to spin or wobbling.
- Highly efficient rocket fuel with specific impulse of 2345 Ns/Kg (the highest I could find for an atrillery rocket).
- Engine container width of only 2.5 mm, allowing for more propellant. Update: Brown Moses has pointed out this image which shows the engine has an additional casing. Together their width is 10 mm, and the propellant's diameter is 100 mm. The calculations below were updated to use this number.
- Engine burn time of 3 seconds, as seems to be the case in the Liwa Al-Islam videos, and here.
A drag coefficient of 0.75 yields a range of 3.0 km, with the following trajectory:
If we use more realistic estimates of 1.0 drag coefficient, 2100 Ns/Kg impulse and 5% loss to inefficiencies, we reach a range of 2.3 km:
The expert may not provide an official response without his employer's approval, which we will try to obtain.
Using the lowest estimate of 0.6 with the optimistic specific impulse (2345) yields a range of 3.3 km, indicating that even with a nose cone, the rocket could not have been launched from regime-held territory.
It is interesting to note that in these simulations the rocket's velocity approaches the sound barrier. Since it is unlikely that the UMLACA was designed for supersonic speeds, these trajectories give us a theoretical upper limit on its range. In other words, any theory claiming a range beyond 3.5 km is based on highly unlikely assumptions (i.e. supersonic speed or very low drag). Specifically: The drag coefficient needed to bring the UMLACA's distance to the 9.6 km claimed by HRW is 0...
When entering the details of the HE version of the UMLACA (170 kg mass, 2.23 m engine), we get a range that is longer by about 100 m. This means the positive effect of a larger engine exceeds the negative effect of having a larger mass.
Next let's examine a White Phosphorus UMLACA, which is probably what the sarin rockets were originally designed for. White Phosphorus has a high density of 1.823, compared to 1.09 for sarin, which results in a 40 kg heavier warhead. Surprisingly, its range is similar to the sarin version. This is possible since the rocket's mass affects its trajectory in two ways: It resists the engine's force during acceleration, and resists the drag force in deceleration. It is therefore possible in some cases to add weight to a rocket and extend its range (imagine a paper ball being launched from a cannon). This may indicate that the UMLACA was indeed originally designed for the heavier White Phosphorus warhead.
So 3.5 km is our theoretical limit, and 2.5 km is a realistic estimate.
Response to Analysis at Brown Moses
The Brown Moses blog published an UMLACA range analysis by John Minthorne, a mechanical engineer, reaching estimates of 3.3 to 15 km.
First thing - Awesome. The goal of this blog is to reach a conclusion through open discussion, and having another professional analysis adds great value. I hope this will start a fruitful discussion that will together help reach a consensus. I will do my best to be open and not get attached to my previous statements, and hope John will do the same.
Let's start with John's critique of my analysis:
- "Assuming very short burn times (and wrongly stating that such an assumption is conservative). Drag increases as a function of more than the square of the velocity, and as a result the thrust of the rocket motor over time is a crucial consideration."
Response: Not sure to which analysis this relates, but the most recent analysis (method 5 above) uses a burn time of 3 seconds, which is what is seen in the Liwa Al-Islam videos (also here). Claiming that the UMLACA has an optimal thrust curve is highly doubtful when the rocket is obviously not optimized for range (e.g. high diameter, thick steel body, discontinuity in shape, non-aerodynamic fins). However, for calculating an upper theoretical limit, I don't mind assuming this is the case. So far a few experiments I did with thrust curves hardly affected range, and in the OpenRocket models provided by John, the effect seems to be about 5%. This is probably since longer burn times also mean longer flight times, which result in more gravity impact. - "Using hobby rocketry engines as the basis of design. By extension, underestimating the propellant mass and specific impulse."
Response: This was shown to be incorrect. In the discussion below with Scarlet Pimpernell three Grad rockets were shown to have a specific impulse that is similar or lower than the OpenRocket engines. - "Miscalculating the center of drag, severely underestimating the rocket's stability."
Response: I assume this relates to Method 1 above. I haven't checked yet but agree that this could be the case. However, Method 5 assumes an optimal trajectory with no loss to instabilities and reaches a similar range. - "Failure to consider wind direction, elevation above sea level, or air temperature."
Response: Wind and temperature were indeed ignored since they have negligible effect. Elevation was incorrectly ignored in Method 1, but this was corrected in Method 5.
Next, here are my comments to John's analysis:
- Propellant Mass - Here I believe I found a major oversight. John assumes that all of the engine's volume is filled with fuel. This is never the case. A large part of the volume is composed of voids designed to control the thrust curve (see examples here and on page 35 here).
By comparing the propellant mass of the largest engines in OpenRocket to their volume, I found the average portion of volume used is 0.62 (assuming 2.5 mm casing and after filtering engines with special thrust curves that can be below 0.5), with the highest being 0.69. I assumed 0.65 in Method 5, but will gladly update it based on reliable evidence.
Just to prove the UMLACA is not filled to capacity: Typical burn speeds of propellants ("regression rates") are below 10 mm/sec. This would mean that if the UMLACA was filled to capacity, its engine would take over 3 minutes to burn (and would probably never take off).
Another small correction: The UN report gives a rocket length of 2.04 m (1.34 + 0.7), from which the booster charge and nozzle should be deducted. I estimated 1.8m for the engine length, and 1.9m in the optimistic scenario. - Specific Impulse - 2550 Ns/kg is an extreme example. The analysis of the three Grad rockets mentioned above shows a range of 1937-2272, and the largest engines in OpenRocket and ThrustCurve are 1966-2272.
Together with the overestimation of the propellant's mass above, this results in a Total Impulse value of 90000 Ns, which is twice my most optimistic estimate of 46000. - Environmental Considerations - Generally agree. Small correction: Elevation in Zamalka is 700m, not 760.
- OpenRocket model - A few minor corrections: (a) According to the UN, warhead diameter is 360mm and not 350mm. (b) Body tube length is 1.34m and not 1.55m. (c) Sarin weight is 60kg and not 50kg (56 liters). (d) The warhead's inner tube is missing. (e) The two thick steel plates on both sides of the warhead are missing (around 10mm?). (f) The thick steel blast plate is missing (over 70mm). Images here.
- Fin Layout - I like the idea of adding the ring to the fins' area.
- Drag - This is the most important part of the calculation. First, as shown above there are good reasons to assume no nose cone is used: (a) There doesn't seem to be one in the videos we have, (b) no remains were found in any impact site, despite minor damage to all other parts, and (c) other features of the UMLACA were not optimized for range (high diameter, thick steel body, discontinuity in shape, non-aerodynamic fins) so there is no reason to assume this was done for the nose cone.
Even if we do assume a nose cone, OpenRocket's drag coefficient estimate of 0.21 is wrong. As mentioned above, a typical aerodynamic artillery rocket is 0.36-0.39. A coefficient of 0.21 would imply an outstanding (and maybe impossible) aerodynamic design, which is definitely not the case here.
Update: Amund Hesbol has communicated with Sampo Niskanen, OpenRocket's developer, who explained OpenRocket was not designed to simulate rockets with a non-standard design like the UMLACA, and therefore the drag calculations "may be way off".
Since there seems to be a bug in the drag calculation module, I suggest we use the spreadsheet in Method 5 above from now on, instead of OpenRocket. It also allows more visibility into the calculations.
- No sanity checks are given for the assumptions made in the simulation. For the results to be trusted, they should be applied to known artillery rockets (e.g. as I did for Falaq-2) and show that they give the true results. John - would be great if you can prepare a few.
- It ignores the two videos we have, in which the UMLACA flies less than 2.5 km, despite its trajectory not being exceptionally shallow or high (as evident by the rocket's apparent velocity and sound level).
- It fails to explain how a rocket with a significantly smaller engine and worse aerodynamics than the Falaq-2 manages to travel a longer distance (15 km compared to 10.8).
Once again, I'm excited that this discussion is happening. John has improved on my analysis in several points, and I hope that he too will incorporate the feedback I provided, leading to an overall better and more reliable result.
In the comments to his post John responded to my review. My response:
Gravity drag is less significant for a blunt-nosed rocket with a Cd of around 1. Any thrust that would accelerate a more streamlined body to above ~M0.8 is wasted on the extremely high drag forces. For lower Cd's, the length of the thrust curve does indeed become a less significant of factor.
Response: For the sake of argument, I'm fine with assuming an optimal thrust curve. However, the Liwa Al Islam video and this new video clearly show a burn time of 3 seconds, as typical to artillery rockets.
The fins did not seem bad to me.
Response: Page 20 of this guide discusses fin shapes, with rectangular being the least efficient. I assume the UMLACA uses rectangular fins since they're the easiest to produce, indicating range was never a goal.
By the way, it shows the subsonic Cd of an aerodynamic rocket as 0.36-0.39, which again makes the 0.21 estimate for the UMLACA highly implausible.
For ~60 second flight times, ignoring wind will generate over 5% error.
Response: Agree. If we ever get to 60 seconds, we can take wind into account. But I doubt this will be the case once we agree on the other parameters.
Technically, purely end-burning rockets do exist though I agree that the UMLACA is not an example. I did consider the volume ratio and ignored it as insignificant, but I should have noted and justified this assumption. Please note that hobby rockets have much lower volume fractions than heavier rockets; Zandbergen suggests a Kv of 0.8-0.95. More specifically, a dual-thrust configuration such as I proposed can have excellent volume fractions; see Himanshu Shekhar's Burn-back Equations for High Volumetric Loading Single-grain Dual-thrust Rocket Propellant Configuration for a more involved analysis. For the curves I proposed (roughly 5:1 boost:sustain thrust ratio), a Kv of 0.95 is appropriate. While 10mm/s is a quite typical regression rate, as I alluded in my report the rate can be varied by around an order or magnitude. It is indeed quite plausible to design a rocket of the dimensions described, with a volume fraction near unity and a burn time on the order of 30 seconds.
Response: Page 35 of the artillery rocket guide states that most engines are star shaped, with the alternative being multiple tubes. The theoretical discussion is interesting, but our goal is finding the maximum plausible range for the UMLACA - not the range that the world's best rocket scientists could get it if they worked on it for years. Claiming that the Syrian Army designed a rocket where the body has a discontinuity in diameter, yet somehow decided to maximize range by using a grain structure and propellant that were never used in the history of rocket artillery, is not constructive to our goal.
If we want to claim volume use above 0.7, we should be able to show at least one artillery rocket where that is the case.
Another contributor suggested that all military rockets have multiple, tubular grains; this is demonstrably false.
Response: Agree, the guide states the star shape is more popular.
The dimensions were based largely on the HRW report. The UN report goes out of its way to point out the dimensions are approximate.
Response: Good point. So let's do our own calculations:
Amund Hesbol prepared this video illustrating the engine and external tube, as seen in the image above.
Update: Here is another video by Amund which shows the dispersion mechanism. It is illustrative only - actual liquid dispersion would be sideways. More details in the comments.
My impression is that none of these mass or dimensional adjustments (save external diameter, which appears to be within the margin for measurement error) have a significant impact on ballistics. Would you agree?
For reasons listed above, the spreadsheet is not accurate for velocities above Mach 0.7
Response: As shown above, significant changes only happen at around Mach 0.8-0.85, which we currently assume the UMLACA does not reach, so the spreadsheet is valid.
John then discusses drag calculations in length, ending in a conclusion that without a wind tunnel or wind tunnel simulation, it's hard to reach an accurate result. I agree and don't see a point in discussing each item in detail, but I would like to respond to the following claim:
I think a subsonic Cd of less than 0.25 is plausible for the munition with nose cone.
...The Falaq-2 is a different rocket. It travels at supersonic speed and has a heavier payload. There is no reason to think that two very different vehicles must have ranges proportional to any superficial characteristic such as launch mass. As discussed above, the UMLACA with a nose cone may have subsonic drag performance comparable to a rocket with more "streamlined" appearance.
...It probably is possible to select a thrust curve that propels the Falaq-2 more than 10.8 km. The designers probably did not do this for other reasons, such as time-on-target and accuracy. This does not mean that it is implausible that a modified Falaq-2 could hit a target 15 km away.
Update: According to the expert opinion we just obtained, the lowest Cd we can reach with a nose cone is 0.6. More details in method 5 above.
- Unless we have evidence that there was ever an artillery rocket that had a specific impulse above 239 s, propellant density above 1750, and propellant volume ratio above 0.7, these should be the parameters we use. It's perfectly fine to build an optimistic scenario, but it can't be based on the UMLACA engineers making breakthroughs in rocket science.
- Propellant length should be changed to 1.83 m, warhead diameter to 360-370 mm, propellant diameter to 100 mm, and extra mass added according to the missing steel parts.
- Getting a reliable estimate of the UMLACA's drag coefficient. Anyone who can help with this - feel free to jump in.
- OpenRocket can be used for simulations without a nose cone, but the spreadsheet is preferable. Once we have an estimate of the UMLACA's Cd with a nose cone, we can enter it to the spreadsheet for a reliable range estimate.


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(This is the last post in a two-part series on this topic. You can see Part One here.)
Attilio Galimberti asked:
What are best practices to make a flipped classroom model work?
Part One in this series included guest responses from enthusiastic proponents of the flipped classroom like Peter Pappas and Andrew Miller, while Josh Stumpenhorst shared reservations similar to mine in his response.
Today's post includes positive responses from educators Jonathan Bergmann and Troy Cockrum, along with comments from readers. In addition, it should include the first weekly ten minute BAM! Radio Network podcast I'll be doing with guests who contribute answers here. I interviewed Jonathan and Troy for this inaugural episode and, I have to say, they did a good job of alleviating a number -- though not all -- of my concerns. However, because of some technical issues, that podcast won't be available until next week and I'll post it separately at that time. I should be able to include future podcasts with the related posts.
Response From Jonathan Bergmann
Jonathan Bergmann was a high school science teacher for 25 years, during which he received the Presidential Award for Excellence for Math and Science Teaching in 2002 and was named a semifinalist for the Colorado Teacher of the Year in 2010. He is currently the lead technology facilitator for the Joseph Sears School in Kenilworth, Ill., and the coauthor of Flip Your Classroom: Reach Every Student in Every Class Every Day (ASCD & ISTE, 2012):
I was once asked by a group of educational state representatives if the flipped classroom would allow them to hire less teachers. They surmised that in this day and age where you can find virtually anything on the Internet, and any subject taught on YouTube, what is the value of the classroom teacher? When I heard this question, I came unglued. They had missed the point of the flipped classroom. They had the misguided notion that teaching is the pouring out of information from one person (the teacher) into another (the student).
Fortunately, I was able to explain how teachers are in fact more valuable when they teach using a flipped approach. I believe students need teachers physically there. This is because we humans are, as a whole, relational beings. And teaching is a social interaction between teacher and students and students and students. Our students need us more than they need a video made by someone they don't know teaching them something they may or may not want to learn about. Teaching is fundamentally about human interactions and that can't be replaced by technology.
The reason Flipped Learning makes teachers more valuable is that it changes the dynamic of the classroom. No longer is content delivery the focus of the class, nor is the teacher's main responsibility the dissemination of knowledge. Instead, teachers take on the role of a facilitator of learning. They are able to work with students in small groups and have more one-on-one interactions. The simple act of removing the direct instruction (lecture) from the whole group changes the dynamic of the room and allows the teacher to personalize and individualize the learning for each student. Each student gets his/her own education which is tailored to his/her needs. Instead of a one size fits all education-each student gets just what they need when they need it.
Response From Troy Cockrum
Troy Cockrum is a middle school Language Arts teacher from Indianapolis, Ind. He is also a Google Certified Teacher and host of the Flipped Learning Network Podcast. His book, Flipping Your English Class to Reach All Learners: Strategies and Lesson Plans, will be out in February:
Having flipped my classroom for 2 ½ years, I have found many best practices that make the model work. However, to say model singularly is a bit misleading. In my upcoming book, I define 5 models of the flipped classroom currently in practice: Traditional Flip, Writing Workshop Flip, Flipped Mastery, Explore Flip Apply, and Peer Instruction Flip. Following are some overall guiding principles help in making all models successful:
An objective for a flipped classroom should be flexibility. The time and place the videos are viewed shouldn't limit the students learning. Although some have promoted the flipped classroom as a "video at home" approach, many teachers, myself included, allow students to watch videos in class. Students should be given option where (home vs. school) videos are viewed.
Teachers should also be flexible in when the information is delivered. This is not same "home vs. school" question, but rather when in the learning cycle. Some teachers prefer to front load the video content as an introduction to a concept. However, teachers should be flexible enough to recognize that placing the video later in the learning cycle after students have explored, thought critically, drew some inferences, and did their own research can help students better assimilate the material.
Teachers should create a the majority of their own content. It can be inviting for a busy teacher to assign someone else's videos. It is acceptable to supplement the curriculum with other's videos on occasion. However, creating one's own content ensures that it meets the needs of their class, allows them to more closely meet their objectives, and helps build the relationship between the teacher and students.
Teachers should build reflection into the video viewing process. Having a reflection piece immediately after viewing allows the student to think critically about what they viewed and be more engaged in their learning. It can also help the teacher assess their learning. In addition, the teacher should reflect on their process and modify it as needed. Involving students in the learning process via feedback places an importance on collaboration and reflection.
All that said, the video piece allows the teacher more opportunities to engage with students, but isn't the best part of the flipped classroom. What the teacher should focus their attention on is the types of activities and inquiry that can happen in the classroom once they've removed direct instruction for the constraints of class time.
Comments From Readers
geonz:Every single time I get lectured at about how the "traditional" classroom is one of passive learning to lecture, I have wonder why this lecturer assumes that I, too, am a passive learner. Has he *been* in classrooms lately?
Will a fancy name -- "flipped classroom" -- mean suddenly classrooms are engaging, individualized spaces?
I also have the serious concerns about the quality of the lectures. It seems it will exacerbate the cultural divide between students who can use mediocre materials to reinforce what they already half-know because they have an enriched background (and they'll have sources to help them figure out the wheat from the chaff)... these are the "savviest students" who "can take active role in helping to find and curate online video material to support the lesson."
ReyCarr:The question really isn't whether to flip or not to flip. As a matter of fact the focus on the techniques or ingredients of a flipped classroom hide what's really needed: a curriculum relevant to student needs and methods that maximize learning. There are literally dozens, maybe even hundreds, of ways this can take place. Trying to assess your place in the flipped classroom continuum may help you to reflect on purpose, but it is more likely to blur purpose because of the need of educators to take sides.
John Norton:In a new post at MiddleWeb, history teacher Jody Passanisi writes about how the flipping debate inspired her to begin creating videos to explain basic routines and convey basic information and free up more time for deeper study and individual help. Samples included.
newteacherhelp.com:The first question people ask when flipping is "What do we do about kids with no Internet at home?"
Enter "Flip Without Internet" as a Google search and watch the top two search results (they are videos). They really open the door for ALL students to benefit from flipped content.
It's also a very weak model, structurally. That is what many teachers do but with so little writing in the classroom, students fare poorly on written tests, writing exercises, and writing in general. There is so much discussion going on, not necessarily a bad thing, but is it really productive? Have you really listened to many teenage conversations which have a lot of talk but not much meaning or depth?
What are you freeing up? Why is it worth it to devote time outside class if it is not worth being inside the class? What is its real value?
Some readers sent in comments using Twitter. I've curated them with Storify:
Thanks to Jon and Troy, and to readers, for their contributions!
Please feel free to leave a comment sharing your reactions to the topic or directly to anything that has been said in this post.
Consider contributing a question to be answered in a future post. You can send one to me at email@example.com you send it in, let me know if I can use your real name if it's selected or if you'd prefer remaining anonymous and have a pseudonym in mind. You can also contact me on Twitter at @Larryferlazzo.
Anyone whose question is selected for this weekly column can choose one free book from a number of education publishers. I'll be highlighting one particular publisher every two months, and will be starting the new year with ASCD.
Just a reminder -- you can subscribe to this blog for free via RSS Reader or email.... And,if you missed any of the highlights from the first two years of this blog, you can see a categorized list of them here. You won't see posts from this school year in those compilations, but you can review those new ones by clicking in the monthly archives link on this blog's sidebar.
You can also see annual lists of my most popular posts.
Education Week has published a collection of posts from this blog -- along with new material -- in an ebook form. It's titled Classroom Management Q&As: Expert Strategies for Teaching.
Look for the next question-of-the-week in a few days...


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Drivers have been urged not to share images of their personal or vehicle paperwork by the government agency responsible for licencing.
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has warned drivers amid concerns that they could be exposing themselves to fraud.
Identity theft
Whether you're proudly showing off your newly acquired licence or including photos of the car's V5C log book in an online advert, publishing images of important documents can give away private information that criminals can exploit.
In a warning to motorists, the DVLA cautioned that a snap of a licence or log book is an easy target for fraudsters looking to steal your or your car's identity.
? Be careful online – don't share photos of your driving licence or your vehicle documents on social media or selling sites. Scammers can use this for identity theft. Read more: https://t.co/QB6om3r6XC pic.twitter.com/f3ByCBzxTU
— DVLA (@DVLAgovuk) April 18, 2019
Your driver's licence contains many of the key details used by criminals to steal people's identities, including your full name, date of birth and address.
Likewise, a car's V5C includes your name and address as well as the car's registration mark, VIN number and a document reference number that is vital for actions such as having new number plates made up.
Stolen car details can be used by car cloners to put a legitimate car's details onto a stolen or otherwise illegal car. This could leave you at risk of being hit with parking and speeding fines as well as more serious charges if a vehicle using your car's identity is used in a crime.
Tax refund fraud
The latest warning comes after the drivers were urged to beware of messages claiming to be from the DVLA and telling drivers that their car tax payment had failed or that they were due a car tax refund.
In both instances the fake emails and texts were designed to persuade drivers to submit their bank details on fraudulent sites posing as legitimate government services.
In the wake of those messages the DVLA issued a guide to staying safe online and avoiding falling victim to such frauds.
A DLVA spokesperson said: "We're aware that some members of the public are receiving emails, texts and telephone calls claiming to be from DVLA. Links to a website mocked up to look like a DVLA online service are sometimes included in the message.
"We don't send emails or text messages with links to websites asking you to confirm your personal details or payment information. We strongly advise anyone who receives such a request not to open the link and delete the item."


text:
Paestum has always been shrouded in mystery. It was probably founded around 650 BC by a large group of Dorians who had been expelled from the city of Sybaris, a luxurious resort across the mainland on the Ionian Sea. The Dorians named their new colony Poseidonia, after the most important of their gods; it flourished and quickly became the greatest city on the gulf of Salerno. Then in 510 BC, Sybaris was destroyed. Poseidonia languished until 390 BC, when it fell to a tribe of local barbarians called the Lucanians. Legend has it that for decades the Greek inhabitants of the captive city secretly met once a year to remember the illustrious days of their forefathers.
In 273 BC, the Romans arrived. They changed the city's name, but we know as little about Roman Paestum as we do about its Greek predecessor. Entire centuries passed in obscurity, briefly interrupted by moments of glory: in the early 3rd century BC, Paestum was heralded as a loyal ally of Rome against Hannibal; in 79 BC, the eruption of Vesuvius partially destroyed it. Perhaps it was volcanic ash that helped to silt up the mouth of the river on which the city stood; this led the surrounding countryside to become swampy and mosquito-ridden. Christianity arrived, eventually bringing a bishop and at least two churches. In the 9th century AD, nearby Agropolis was taken over by Saracens. These Muslim Arabs introduced such delicacies as pasta and buffalo (source of the exquisite mozarella di bufala), but they were also such fierce fighters that they soon became as dreaded as the malarial mosquitos. By 877 AD, the inhabitants of Paestum had abandoned the city and retreated to the safety of the nearby hills.
Incredibly, although Paestum's Temple of Hera (also called "of Poseidon") was among the most famous cult-worship sites in antiquity, and although it is the oldest, best preserved and most beautiful Doric temple in existence today, and despite the city's proximity to Salerno (24 miles) and Capaccio (4 miles), these majestic ruins were unknown all through the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Indeed, although scholars had been searching for them for centuries, they were not discovered until 1740 and even then, not accurately described until 1779.