Community Corner

What does it mean to be a New Yorker and have a say in its elections? According to a bill passed by the City Council last Thursday, December 9, only 30 days of residency is needed to allow an individual to register as a voter in local elections. “In a time where many states are passing voter suppression laws like we haven’t seen since the Jim Crow era, New York City must be seen as a shining example for other progressive cities to follow,” said upper Manhattan Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez, the sponsor of the bill.

Keeping on message is among the difficult elements of a political campaign, when a soundbite receives more attention than the subject of the speech, or when a crowd of supporters defines the candidate rather than the other way around. Last Sunday, Republican gubernatorial contender Rob Astorino stood outside the office of Bronx Democratic Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz to protest his bill requiring vaccination for all students to attend classes.

 The community that walks humbly often keeps a low profile, avoiding interviews with secular media, which results in slanted reporting that depicts Orthodox Jews in a negative light. At last week’s annual Agudath Israel of America convention, three outspoken panelists sought to correct the narrative with examples from their experiences and advice on how to interact with editors and reporters.

Among this nation’s cities, the power of the purse to shape policy is perhaps the strongest in New York City, which has a pension fund worth more than $273 billion that it invests in industries that reflect the values of the city government. Earlier this year, Comptroller Scott Stringer invested $8 billion in projects related to the Green New Deal, which failed in Congress but was promoted by its progressive members. In line with its environmental vision, the city also divested $4 billion from fossil fuel companies.

A once-ubiquitous packing material that the manufacturer refused to take back was kept by the Orenbuch family of West Hempstead and assembled into a menorah like no other. “We used to drive past a home on 136th Street that had a sukkah made of red Coca-Cola crates. When we got married, we started collecting them from shuls after their kiddush,” said Rachel Orenbuch. “Our first home in Queens was a garden apartment, and that’s where we made our first sukkah.”

The land that has experienced an ongoing struggle with terrorism also has unique landscapes ideal for hiking and spiritual renewal. For nearly two decades, the OneFamily Fund has been supporting Israeli victims of terror attacks and their families with their emotional and physical needs. Among their programs is a hike that brings together the survivors of bombings and donors from America.