Community Corner

In this week’s parshah, Yosef revealed himself to his brothers after not seeing them for 22 years. The pasuk states: “VaYomer Yosef el echav: Ani Yosef; ha’od avi chai? V’lo yachlu echav laanos oso, ki nivhalu mi’panav – And Yosef said to his brothers, ‘I am Yosef. Is my father still alive?’ But his brothers could not answer him because they were left disconcerted before him” (B’reishis 45:3).

In the years when I lived in Forest Hills, my first synagogue was Congregation Machane Chodosh, and the two pillars holding up its German Jewish traditions were Rabbi Manfred Gans zt”l and President Herbert Jaffe. A year ago, Herbert Jaffe departed from life, being one of the last voices from the German-born generation that founded this shul.

Brian P. Friedman of Jefferies and Wesley M. LePatner of Blackstone honored for their philanthropic leadership

UJA-Federation of New York’s Wall Street Dinner raised a record-breaking $45 million for its annual campaign to support a wide network of nonprofits. Since the October 7 terrorist attack against Israel, $156 million has been raised for the UJA Israel Emergency Fund – providing essential support to the people of Israel – with $75 million raised from the Wall Street community.

The Young Israel of Queens Valley courtyard has been aglow with a unique installation, “Light Up The Nights,” presented nightly throughout Chanukah. The light display, a vision of the Idels and Morgenstern families, honors our brothers and sisters in Eretz Yisrael during this trying time. The display concludes Thursday evening, December 14.

Gov. Kathy Hochul submitted a letter to the State University of New York’s (SUNY’s) colleges and universities’ presidents on December 9, in which she underscored that “calling for the genocide of any group of people” on their campuses “would constitute a violation of [the State’s] Human Rights Law as well as Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.” This letter was written in response to the pernicious spread of anti-Semitism throughout college campuses in the wake of the deadly multipronged Hamas terror assault in Israel on October 7.

Rain, wind, and increased anti-Semitism didn’t damper an exciting outdoor Chanukah celebration in Forest Hills on December 10. DJ Jordan Benjamin pumped up Jewish music, trampoline artists did twists, and chocolate coins were dropped from a 30-foot-high fire department cherry picker.