Community Corner

This past Thursday, April 22, was also Earth Day. NYC Council Speaker Corey Johnson and his Council colleagues opted to use this day when we focus on the environment to vote and subsequently appoint James F. Gennaro as the Chair of the NYC Council Committee on Environmental Protection, a position that Gennaro previously held from 2002 to 2013. The seat was vacated by former City Council Member Costa Constantinides who resigned for a nonprofit sector job after serving as Chair for seven years. Over the impressive twelve-year span, Gennaro authored and passed into law 50 major pieces of environmental legislation, and shepherded hundreds of other bills through the committee. “I am honored and humbled to hold this position again and will do my utmost to advance the work of the committee along lines of excellence,” wrote Gennaro following word of this announcement. “I am very grateful to Speaker Johnson and my colleagues for their confidence in me. I won’t let them down.”

First County in New York State to Reach Milestone

Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. stated the following in response to Queens becoming the first county in New York State to have one million residents receive at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine – a milestone that the World’s Borough hit on April 23, according to the State Department of Health.

For 12 years, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai (Rashbi) and his son Elazar dwelt in the cave, sustaining themselves on carobs and water. In the cave, Rabbi Shimon learned to look at the world in even the most physical and coarse places and still find Hashem and His Goodness within. For, the physicality itself is really hidden, latent spirituality. By coming to this realization, Rashbi was thus zocheh to reveal Hashem in every aspect of creation (the good and the bad) through the mystical teachings contained in the Zohar. He came to a place of shalom between him, those around him, and His Creator, and thereby became the conduit of shalom into the world. I’ve heard it said that when someone learns the Zohar properly, all questions fall away.

On Monday evening, April 26, residents from two different areas in Kew Gardens Hills became victims of disturbing crimes. Following a late Maariv at Yeshiva Chofetz Chaim, a member of the Yeshiva’s kollel was headed home along 78^th Road between 147^th Street and 150^th Street when he was attacked from behind by three African American teens in what is believed to be an attempted mugging. The avreich, who was dressed in a jacket and black hat, began to scream as he was clobbered to the ground. Fortunately, his shouting was heard by neighbors who rushed out chasing away the delinquents. The NYPD was contacted and arrived swiftly, but could not locate the criminals. The avreich later went down to the 107^th police precinct to deliver a statement.

Hate crimes and anti-Semitism are still a major concern for residents of Queens. Neighbors in Rego Park are now being extra cautious when outside, following an unprovoked attack on a 56-year-old Jewish man on his way to Minchah services at Congregation Ohr Natan this past Shabbos afternoon around 6 p.m. As we are very aware, the neighborhood surrounding 99^th Street is heavily religious, to where many residents have escaped the religious oppression in their Soviet homeland and arrived in New York seeking freedom.