News

A month after District Attorney Alvin Bragg figured out where the courthouse was long enough to indict former President Donald Trump, the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, controlled by the Republican majority, held a hearing in America’s largest city, focusing on the problem of violent crime. The Committee, chaired by Ohio Representative Jim Jordan, came up to New York City itself to hear testimonies in an aptly titled hearing, “Victims of Violent Crime in Manhattan.”

There used to be a time when the policy differences between the two major parties could be solved with debate and compromise.  Things like tax rates, healthcare, entitlements, and dozens of other topics could be argued, with hardliners on either side but deals being struck.  Even with the division in the country, even if nothing gets passed and no unity is available, with each side becoming more and more entrenched, the issues themselves could be seen by the voting public as something that could be debated.  This is not true with the most fundamental cultural totem in our society today: the fundamental truth about human biological facts.

Over Pesach, the Jewish world was rocked by yet another set of siblings, the third such set in under 60 days, being killed at the hands of Palestinian terrorists in Israel. The sisters, Maia and Rina Dee, were shot by a gunman when they were driving with their mother, who died a couple days later from her injuries. At the same time, on the other side of the country, Italian tourist Alessandro Parini was killed when a Palestinian terrorist committed a car ramming attack in Tel Aviv.

The New York City Council has passed a resolution to recognize April 29 as “End Jew Hatred Day” each year. The move comes as officials try to combat the regular occurrence of anti-Semitic incidents in the city. While 41 members of the City Council voted in favor of the measure, two voted against it, and four abstained, leading to criticism from Jewish advocates.

George Washington University’s Hillel is in the process of selecting a new student president. It seeks candidates who possess a “strong sense of Jewish Self” and are “willing to support others in building their own sense of Jewish self-confidence” – sensible traits for a potential Hillel president. Unfortunately, the Biden administration appears poised to repeal federal rules that ensure that religious groups like Hillel have the right to choose leaders possessing such characteristics.

I am proud to call Queens my home. What makes our borough so vibrant are the unique, tight-knit communities and neighborhoods that have persisted and thrived over the 40 years I have lived here. For my part, I have been proud to work to support and strengthen the Jewish communities of Kew Gardens, Kew Gardens Hills, Forest Hills, and Flushing as President of Tomchei Shabbos of Queens.