Birnbaum Financial Group

Granddaughter’s Bas Mitzvah

Last month, I attended the Bas Mitzvah of my son’s oldest daughter. A freckled child who looks remarkably like her mother was attended by her two set of grandparents, all my other children, which means her 4 aunts, as well as about 40 friends and guests in her home in Atlanta, GA. Two of the aunts brought lap sons, which were adorable, and permitted both young and old to be entertained, and to entertain.

The father spoke, as did the 2 grandparents. It turns out that the celebrant was named after 2 grandmothers. One was on the mother’s side, and one was on the father’s side.

Both women were born in America, married immigrants, and they built a life in which the next generation, which in total were 7 children, all turned out to be solid citizens with all different professions. Computer scientist, financial planner, pharmacist, podiatrist, periodontist, business owners, teachers and rabbis, among other professions was what they contributed to society.

Those 7 children generated 31 grandchildren, and more than 100 great grandchildren with more to come. I guess this celebrant will have a great deal of family to contend with, and to share their common origins with. I just wonder what she will do with her skills, the type of life she will have, and what her descendants will do. It is a pleasant thought to muse about.

In contrast to me, I had no grandparents, everybody was murdered in World War II. I had only 2 first cousins in total! To make matters even more interesting, 2 brothers married 2 sisters, so my uncle and aunt were my uncle and aunt twice! My first cousins had almost the same DNA as I had. We were quite close, and these cousins were really my best friends as well. My other friends in Brooklyn, whose parents survived the war, had similar stories so none of us thought it was odd. We grew up playing ball, getting educated, and thinking that we had everything we ever needed. My childhood was glorious. I wonder how my children and grandchildren will think of theirs.

Purim 2025

A client asked me about the recent Jewish holiday, Purim, and what its significance was.

Purim as you may note in the pictures attached is a fun time for families. Children, and some adults, dress up in costumes, and celebrate the victory of the Jews over their enemies in the 3rd or 4th century BCE in the Persian Kingdom. They walk around the community bringing gifts of different delicacies and exotic foods as well drinks to neighbors to share.

Drinking more than you are accustomed is common so that you are placed in a happier mood. This is of course the effect of the intoxicating fluids.

Contributions to the poor are addressed on this holiday. In fact, any poor person who extends his hand as a request for funds, in the spirit of the day, does not return empty handed.

The story has twists and turns with nothing being what it appears. The costumes are to be representative of that nothing is what it seems to be. You dress up as a Dragon does not mean you are one. You dress up a referee, ball player, or ball does not make you one. Dressing up as QT Slurpee does not make you one as well.

The Scroll of Esther which documents the events is read in synagogue both in the evening and in the morning. Noise makers are exercised when the villain Haman is mentioned to blot out his accursed name. Haman, having descended from Amalek, the long hated enemy of Israel, has noise generated to symbolize the wiping out of this cruel and accursed enemy each time his name is mentioned in the Book of Esther.

All in all, it is a day to celebrate the acceptance of the Torah (Laws of Moses and all that follows) out of love of G-d’s generosity in saving his people. It is done with rituals, kindness to others, and good cheer to all. Overall, it is one of the most popular holidays of the Jewish Calendar, and the 2nd to last to be accepted by the Sages.

A Mother, 32, a 4-year-old, and a less than 1 year old – The Bibas Family

A client asked me about the recent hostage releases in Israel. I told them the following:

Can an organized religion and/or faux government justify the murder of a mother, and her two young children whose only crime was being Jewish? In ancient times, there was a commandment given, about 3,300 years ago, to the Israelites to wipe out man, woman, child, and animals of Amalek!

This was done to remove an evil culture that attacked the Israelites unprovoked. Amalek struck the weak and vulnerable of the Israelites as they left Egypt only to try to prove to the world that the Jews were not the Chosen People. Israel would not be protected by the Almighty, Amalek wanted to prove! Israel could suffer losses and were not protected via miracles.

The land that Amalek occupied was not part of Canaan, the Promised Land to Abraham. They were not threatened by the Israelites coming to the Promised Land. Amalek intentionally and deliberately assaulted Israel to attack the G-d of Israel.

G-d commanded Moses to uproot this malevolent nation whose goal and essence was the destruction of the Jews as representatives of G-d. Their leaders, their men and women, their children and even their animals were considered so venal that they were to be wiped off from the face to the earth.

It is possible to have unbridled evil. The N***s during World War II would stop at nothing to murder as many Jews as they can despite the realization that the war was lost! They used precious limited resources to run their death camps and increase their killing machines at the cost of material for the fronts.

The N***s as well as Hamas, and all the Gazans, who can celebrate as four coffins are returned to Israel, 3 containing the Bibas family are part of a degenerate people! What sick society considers this behavior appropriate.

Denial of what the N***s, and what Hamas and the Gazans did are being spread by bad actors already. How does one deny what happened in World War II to those who survived or their children who heard firsthand from their parents what took place. I am one of those children.

All righteous nations understand that there can be evil, and negotiation with evil is meaningless. The only solution is destruction of those that perpetuate the evil as was done with N**i Germany.

The G-d of Israel protects his people as he has done from the time of Abraham over 3,800 years ago and will continue to do so until the end of days.

נצח ישראל לא ישקר ולא ינחם כי לא אדם הוא להנחם

The Eternal One of Israel cannot be dealt with falsely and placated for he is not a man to be placated.

New Home for Birnbaum Financial Group
9124 Terminal Avenue Skokie IL 60077

We just moved into our own building, which will offer twice as much room, and all employees have individual offices. It took almost a year and a half to find the site, because we had specific requirements that needed to be met.

Our past office was about 7-minute commute from my home. Since my partner, Nathan Lerman, and all of administration were just minutes from where I live, everybody had become accustomed to short commutes. We tried to keep the travel time to a minimum. The new commute is about 15 minutes!

A single-story building or a multi-story that had an elevator was important since we have some elderly clients that would have difficulty with stairs. Our new home is a single story.

We needed place to expand since our 10-year plan is to quadruple our production and will be adding administrative staff as well as advisors in the future. Our new home has place for twice as many people that we have currently, and we can with some reconfigurations add a great deal more.

Our fervent hope is that new home will continue to be a source for assisting our clients in meeting their goals and a comfortable place for advisors and staff to grow and develop. It is our expectation that it will be remembered when we are gone, as effective in accomplishing what we wanted to have happen for both clients and staff.