Community Corner

An Invitation To The One Israel Fund BBQ And Wine Tasting

Preparations are underway for One Israel Fund 13^th Annual Summer BBQ and Fine Israeli Wine Tasting, an annual event that raises funds for Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria. This year’s event will take place at the home of Joseph and Jenny Felder in Lawrence, NY, on the evening of August 15.  The couple, together with an All-Star Committee, invites everyone to join them in supporting One Israel Fund while enjoying a phenomenal BBQ by Graze Smoke House, paired with a full array of Israeli wines. And all sponsors will go home with a fantastic bottle of wine as well.

A terrible tragedy devastated a Kew Gardens Hills institution this past Thursday afternoon, Erev Rosh Chodesh Av. Congregation Bais Yosef D’Ulem, under the leadership of Rav and Rebbetzin Yaakov Yitzchak Friedman, the Ulemer Rav, suffered a blaze that destroyed the beis midrash and rendered the esteemed couple’s home uninhabitable.

During the first Shabbos following Tish’ah B’Av, we read the first of the seven special haftaros of n’chamah, giving klal Yisrael comfort after our period of mourning. The haftaros tell of the coming of Mashiach and the rebuilding of the Beis HaMikdash, which gives us hope that although we have suffered a great loss, there will be a time when the mourning comes to an end.

Compliments have been pouring in for our Family Fun Day Barbecue on Sunday, July 31, presented by the Queens County Republican Patriots. It was a beautiful summer day, and all the kids had an absolute blast, as well as the parents!

On Thursday afternoon, July 21, State Senator Leroy Comrie met with the Vaad Harabonim of Queens (VHQ), representing the Ashkenazic rabbinic leadership of Queens, at Congregation Ahavas Yisroel on 73^rd Avenue in Kew Gardens Hills. The District 14 senator first began in the role in January of 2015 and is currently running unopposed for the open seat due to redistricting, to represent parts of Kew Gardens, Forest Hills, and Kew Gardens Hills. Although much of the city is seeing US House of Representatives and State Senate races, there is no scheduled primary for this race in the first of its kind second primary on August 23, as Comrie has no opponents. In the upcoming general election on November 8, Comrie is again running unopposed, as there is no Republican challenger. Since declaring his re-election, Comrie has held a strong presence throughout the Jewish community of Queens, appearing on a consistent basis to meet his new constituents.

Undergraduate enrollment is set to rise significantly at Yeshiva University in Fall 2022, with new student numbers expected to grow over 10 percent from 2021.