Community Corner

Following declarations from partisan Jewish individuals and organizations claiming that restrictions on abortion represent a “specific Christian belief” that would limit the ability of Jews to “practice their religion,” the Coalition for Jewish Values (CJV), issued the following statement:

Fifteen years ago, a small ad in a metro New York Jewish weekly newspaper led to the founding of a now worldwide event in support of disabled Israel Defense Forces veterans. That advertisement was for the inaugural bicycle ride for a little-known group, The Zahal Disabled Veterans Organization, known to many as Beit Halochem.

Gila was an outgoing and well-liked 18-year-old young woman. The night before dying by suicide, on December 19, 2019, she bought a bag of candies to give to those looking sad in the Old City of Jerusalem.

After Washington Post (WaPo) reporter Taylor Lorenz, who quite recently described doxxing [revealing personal information about a subject] as “not okay in any situation,” doxxed the writer behind the LibsofTikTok Twitter account, WaPo Managing Editor Cameron Barr issued a statement saying that “Taylor Lorenz is an accomplished and diligent journalist whose reporting methods comport entirely with The Washington Post’s professional standards,” and claiming that “We do not publish or link to any details about [LibsofTikTok’s] personal life.”

This week, unfortunately, we are all mourning the loss of Rabbi Zechariah [Shimon ben Yitzchak] Wallerstein HaKohen zt”l and Rabbi Moshe Neuman zt”l, remarkable men who gave chinuch to hundreds of women. They both initiated schools and other educational programming to ensure that every girl had the opportunity to learn and grow spiritually. It made no difference to them the background of the students, be it Sefardi, Ashkenazi, Litvish, or chasidic. Their genuine love and dedication to all members were what made them both very successful.

This past Sunday, April 24, the membership of Kew Gardens and Richmond Hill’s Pirchei Agudath Israel took a fun-filled trip to Adventureland, courtesy of Project Lead. The Isru Chag adventure included over 40 budding Torah scholars! The boys were asked to help their parents with final Pesach cleanup chores before heading out on their trip. The program was graced with the presence of Rabbi Avrohom Hecht, Director of Project Lead; Aaron Cyperstein, President of Khal Adas Yereim of Kew Gardens; Rabbi Moshe Fogel; and Heshy Greenberg. Pirchei is held weekly on Shabbasos at Khal Adas Yereim of Kew Gardens.