Community Corner

The YCQ (Yeshiva of Central Queens) Alumni Association is proud to announce that it is hosting its inaugural Alumni Basketball Game and Family Fun Day on Sunday, November 3, beginning at 11:00 a.m. It is hoped that this basketball game will become an annual event, generating much excitement among alumni who wish to renew relationships with both their elementary/middle school alma mater and former classmates/friends. This year’s event, as presently envisioned, will be limited to a single basketball game for alumni who are 22 years of age or older. If there is significant interest in registering for this game, a second and possibly even a third game that day will be added.

When I was a young yeshivah student, I came to study in Yeshiva Shaar HaTorah in Kew Gardens, Queens. One aspect that made attending this institution especially appealing to me was that at its head was Rabbi Zelig Epstein. Before knowing him personally, I knew he had studied in the Mir, back when it was in Poland, and that he was married to the great Rabbi Shimon Shkop’s granddaughter. I had also heard that he had attended the Yeshiva in Kelm, famed for its refinement of students’ character and commitment to Rabbi Yisrael Salanter’s musar movement. Having the privilege of being linked to all that, and especially being linked to a world that is no longer – pre-Holocaust Europe – was especially meaningful to me. And so I attended the Yeshiva, making a conscious effort to get every opportunity I can to spend time with Rabbi Epstein, or as he was known by so many: “Reb Zelig.”

The Talmud (P’sachim 117a) states that there are ten types of songs/expressions in the Book of Psalms:  1) conducting (nitzuach), 2) melody (nigun), 3) musical accompaniment (mizmor), 4) song (shir), 5) praise (hallel), 6) prayer (t’filah), 7) blessing (brachah), 8) thanksgiving (hodaah), 9) praises (ashrei), and 10) “Praise God” (hallelukah).

The National Council of Young Israel (NCYI) Tuesday slammed Democratic presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders after he threatened to use US foreign aid to Israel as leverage to pressure the Israeli government to do things differently. Sanders issued his warning about cutting aid to Israel during a recent interview, in which he also maintained that “our policy cannot just be pro-Israel, pro-Israel, pro-Israel,” and referred to Prime Minister Netanyahu’s government as an “extreme right-wing government with many racist tendencies.”

To build a successful business, it is crucial to develop a network of relevant connections. Acquaintances become friends and friends become the people upon whom you rely and who rely upon you. Perhaps some of these individuals will inspire you or push you to do better. Perhaps some are mentors who will offer you bits of the wisdom they’ve acquired along their journey. Some will be peers with whom you can collaborate or share valuable connections. Some will become mentees, or people you can help lift up and advise. Fortunately, there are many business owners in a plethora of fields right here in our own communities. Next Wednesday night, August 7, we look forward to helping you expand your vital business network.

New York State Budget Awards STEM Funding to 338 Nonpublic Schools As Part of Historic Bill

Teach NYS, a project of the Orthodox Union (OU) and a leading advocate for equitable funding for New York State’s nonpublic schools, applauds New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and the state legislature for distributing the first $5 million of funding to reimburse nonpublic schools for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) educators. New York is the first state to establish a STEM educator reimbursement program, making this a historic new program.