Community Corner

Florida Congressman Randy Fine is the first member of the House of Representatives to wear a kipah on the floor of the House. This distinction alone, however, would not give him the adoration and respect of the Jewish community, who have seen many pretenders come and go. Rather, his strong defense of that community — from ensuring education success to securing Jewish day schools and synagogues — has earned the freshman Congressman an important place in the hearts and minds of the philo-Semitic, and scorn from the anti-Semitic. This is also why pro-Israel activists, donors, and community leaders gathered in the home of Trudy and Stanley Stern in Lawrence for a NORPAC event co-sponsored by Ronit and Brian Gurtman and Iris and Shalom Maidenbaum to hear from Representative Fine.

 Well was she named,

Fought many battles,

With no weapon but her faith.

The annual tea of the Erna Lindenfeld Hachnosas Kallah Fund of Queens (HKQ) opened with a stirring reminder that when history speaks, it urges us to awaken, reflect, and return. This beloved community gathering brought together women of all ages in an atmosphere of warmth and purpose, united by HKQ’s enduring mission: ensuring that every Jewish couple can begin married life with dignity, support, and joy.

In this week’s parshah, we read of the early life of Yaakov and Eisav, two brothers whose paths could not have been more different. The Torah tells us: “Vayisrotzetzu ha’banim b’kirbah – The children struggled within her.” Even before their birth, Rivkah felt an inner turmoil she couldn’t understand.

Queens felt a profound and immediate loss this past Friday – a quiet, collective ache that spread through Kew Gardens, Kew Gardens Hills, and beyond, as word of the passing of Mrs. Binah (bas Shlomo) Kasirer a”h began to circulate. To many, she was far more than a respected educator or neighbor; she was a woman whose spiritual strength, emotional resilience, and unwavering emunah shaped the lives of thousands. Her presence carried a rare inner radiance – the kind of light that remains with you long after she left the room.

The Grand Ballroom of the Ziegfeld in Manhattan shimmered Sunday night, November 9, as the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) hosted its 2025 Superstar Gala, a night that brought together some of the most influential figures in Jewish, American, and Israeli life – leaders bound by a shared mission: to defend Israel, confront anti-Semitism, and reaffirm the indomitable Jewish spirit in an age of rising hostility.