Community Corner

We all know there is nothing more important than our families – more specifically how we protect those closest to us. Last Tuesday evening, October 12, I joined Jennifer Martin, Funeral Director at Schwartz Bros.-Jeffer Memorial Chapels and Parkside Memorial Chapels, a division of Dignity Memorial, for an informational seminar held at The Upper Crust restaurant on how to plan the final arrangements for loved ones. Those gathered, including couples, widows, and singles of varied ages, gathered to learn simple steps to plan ahead.

In T’hilim, Psalm 27, David HaMelech beseeches, “Let me dwell in the House of Hashem all the days of my life, behold the pleasantness of Hashem, and to visit in His Sanctuary.” How can David HaMelech live somewhere permanently and yet merely be a visitor? Rabbi Zvi Sobolofsky explains that David HaMelech is asking Hashem to help him always have the excitement of a first-time experience when he serves Hashem. David HaMelech desires to be a dweller all of his days but yet never lose the passion of a visitor.

Hillel Newerstein (Hillel Meir ben Avraham Shlomo a”h) was one of the most special and remarkable people who made up our shul and community. But to me, he was a true friend. What I mean by a true friend is someone who not only can be relied on to be there whenever you need him, but someone who helps you become a better person. There is no question that Hillel especially helped me become a better person and a better Jew; he helped me grow in Torah in many ways. And I suspect that that was not only true for me, but for others as well.

The inception of Jewish life in Kew Gardens Hills many decades ago brought an expansion of Torah that continues to blossom on the very same streets today. The construction of the Young Israel of Kew Gardens Hills, under the guidance of Rav Fabian Schonfeld zt”l, the shul’s rabbi emeritus, took on a greater role as the facility breached on capacity, the essence of Torah and Yiddishkeit forever sown into its very walls.

Petty crimes committed locally have unfortunately almost become accepted as the norm now, as residents are forced to keep a keen eye out for suspicious behavior right here in our neighborhoods. This past Thursday evening, I was fortunate to join a friend of the community, Deputy Inspector Kevin Chan, Commanding Officer of the 107^th Precinct, for an informative Zoom call hosted by the Young Israel of Kew Gardens Hills and its mara d’asra Rabbi Yoel Schonfeld.

We are saddened to inform the community of the passing of Dr. Marshall Michael (Moshe Mordechai ben Nasan) Joffe z”l, a brilliant gem of our neighborhood, last Tuesday, October 5. Dr. Joffe, 59, was a gentle and kind, devoted member of the Kew Gardens Hills community, who excelled professionally as a prolific researcher of statistical science. Amongst his peers, Dr. Joffe is remembered for his groundbreaking work in causal inference, which influenced biostatistics and epidemiology. Most notable were his clinical research advances in nephrology and his teaching career as a longtime professor at the University of Pennsylvania. Many of his revolutionary ideas and philosophies were detailed in published journals.