Sergey Kadinsky

As long as there have been Jewish divorces, there have been examples of men who withheld a get as a form of leverage. To the astonishment of the average person, these men would live for years, sometimes decades, in refusal of rabbinical courts while living ostensibly observant lives. In recent years, the days preceding Purim have been used to amplify agunah cases in public, with rallies at the homes of recalcitrant husbands. This year, the voices of advocacy did not fade after Purim.

This past Sunday, a leading expert on vaccination spoke at a forum sponsored by more than a dozen Jewish organizations, seeking to encourage the public to take the shot against COVID-19. Among the sponsors was the Queens Jewish Link. “There are many legitimate questions that people have about vaccines,” said COVID Plasma Initiative cofounder Chaim M. Lebovits. “On the other side, there are some rumors that are flat out false and have absolutely no basis in truth.”

NYC Mayoral Hopeful Tours KGH After Rosenthal Endorsement

The excitement of the press conference where Assemblyman Daniel Rosenthal endorsed Andrew Yang for mayor is not unusual for the candidate. Seemingly everywhere he goes, there is interest in this non-politician running for the nation’s most high-profile mayoralty.

The race for the 24^th City Council District is not over yet. Although Councilman Jim Gennaro was sworn into office on February 18, it was to finish the final year of his predecessor Rory Lancman’s term, as he had resigned to take a job with the State. Starting this week, Gennaro and other candidates seeking a full four-year term in this district are petitioning for the June 22 primary.

A couple of months ago, Senator Chuck Schumer held a Zoom meeting with Jewish community leaders and activists outlining his role as the incoming Senate Majority Leader, and the position’s impact on funding Jewish institutions. This week, the self-described “Shomer Israel” delivered results, inserting $2.75 billion in support in the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan.

The ongoing pandemic prevented this publication from hosting its annual Networking Event in person, and one may presume that participants ate heartily at home on the eve of Taanis Esther. As they ate, an impressive lineup of speakers offered insights on faith, marketing, and advertising.