Community Corner

The Coalition for Jew4ish Values (CJV), representing over 1,500 Orthodox rabbis, commended Yeshiva University (YU) for courageously defending religious libert

By Manny Behar

Editor’s Note: The views and opinions in this article are those of the author’s alone; the Queens Jewish Link does not endorse political candidates.

Following the success of the pilot year of the Purple Fellowship, Shalom Task Force (STF) is excited to announce the launch of the STF Young Leadership Board and Ambassador Program. “When our first cohort of the Purple Fellowship was wrapping up, we knew we did not want these students’ involvement with STF to end there. This new initiative allows for our future leaders to grow the skills they excelled in during the fellowship, while deepening their connection with the work of STF,” says Jeffrey Younger, Director of Communications and Program Operations.

As a prime contender in a hotly-contested mayoral race, Andrew Yang chose to return to Kew Gardens Hills this past Sunday afternoon in an attempt to sway undecided voters in the neighborhood known to use the ballot box to voice their opinions. Early in the race, Assembly Member Daniel Rosenthal made waves with a groundbreaking endorsement for Yang, which was followed by other leading Jewish political and communal endorsements. Rosenthal has stood by his candidate of choice, culminating in an important endorsement from the Queens Jewish Alliance for Action.

The three-week period that begins with the fast of the 17^th of Tamuz and climaxes with Tish’ah B’Av is known as “The Three Weeks.” It is a time of mourning and reflection for the destruction of both the First and the Second Temples in Jerusalem, as well as many other tragedies that befell klal Yisrael over the course of history. In order to internalize and grow from the memory of these calamities, Chazal instituted increasing degrees of mourning practices during this period.

Defendant Faces Up to Four Years in Prison if Convicted

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Kristoffer Bahamonde has been charged with criminal mischief as a hate crime, harassment, and other charges for allegedly defacing several locations in Elmhurst with swastikas and other graffiti in late May 2021. District Attorney Katz said, “The defendant allegedly used symbols of hate to deface property and intimidate members of our shared community. In Queens County, we stand together against hatred directed toward any group. This defendant’s alleged actions do not reflect our values or who we are.”