Community Corner

The Kew Gardens Hills community gathered on Sunday, April 19, for a joyous hachnasas sefer Torah ceremony. The event was hosted by the Baal-Lev, Babadzhanov, Borochov, and Mashkabov families in loving memory of their parents and grandparents, Dovid Chai & Mazal Tova Borochov a”h and Avraham & Sara Babadzhanov a”h.

In the days leading up to Yom HaShoah, as Jewish communities reflected on the consequences of unchecked hatred, Congress approved a significant increase in funding for the State Department’s Office of the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism—raising its budget to $2.5 million, nearly a 50% jump. The timing was striking, underscoring that this is no longer a historical concern, but a present reality.

Beis Yosef D’Ulem, known to many as Rabbi Friedman’s Shul, was filled with a resounding kol Torah on Monday night, April 20. The Kew Gardens Hills Rosh Chodesh Yarchei Kalah for chodesh Iyar brought together learning groups from across Queens as working baalei batim carved out time to sit down with mar’ei m’komos and immerse themselves in a serious sugya b’iyun. As Rabbi Shaul Neuman noted at the outset, witnessing a community unite on this advanced level provides tremendous chizuk.

Before most of Queens had even started its morning, the fires were already burning.

Across the borough, Jewish families gathered outside shuls and at designated locations, little bags with scraps of bread in hand, to complete biur chametz – the final step before Pesach. Fathers stood with children, watching as the last remnants were placed into the flames, marking the end of weeks of intense preparation.

Families and advocates seeking specialized educational services recently gathered at Congregation Beth-El in Fresh Meadows for the Atidaynu “Our Future” school open house. This collaborative gathering, supported by Chazaq, All About Kindness, and Special Neshamos, addressed a vital need for children requiring an environment where they can thrive through intensive, individualized support.

A single memorial candle burned in a quiet room in Jamaica Hills last week — a steady, unyielding light reflecting across the faces of those gathered to remember.