News

Deborah Shimon has been living in Whitestone with her husband Albert and children for 12 years, having grown in their observance but very much at home in a neighborhood where there is little Jewish life. This year, their community is more visible with the first ever public menorah lighting at Francis Lewis Park, a historic waterfront space next to the great bridge that shares the neighborhood’s name.

The lasting legacy of David HaMelech are his writings (collectively known as T’hilim or Psalms), his moral legacy as a prophetic figure, and politically as a conqueror who expelled the Canaanites from Jerusalem and expanded Israel’s borders to their greatest extent. In contrast to the monarchs of his time, there is little archeological evidence testifying to his life.

The Sunday before Chanukah was a very busy day for the Jewish community in West Hempstead. For the local Chabad, the preceding Shabbos was Yud-Tes Kislev, a farbrengen commemorating the passing of Rav Dovber, the Maggid of Mezeritch, in 1772. He was a talmid of the Baal Shem Tov and the teacher of Rav Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the founding rebbe of Chabad chasidus.

As we daven for the r’fuah sh’leimah of Rabbi Paysach Krohn, the maggid of Queens, we recognize the many things he does for our people as a lecturer, author, and guide to Jewish history. In the latter role, he’s taken people on tours of kivrei tzadikim in Poland and cemeteries closer to home. Although I’ve never taken his tour of the cemetery belt on the Brooklyn-Queens border, I had the opportunity to visit Union Field Cemetery last month for the k’vurah of Marilyn Goldsmith, a resident of Fresh Meadows and mother to a close friend.

When many colleges across the country are facing uncertainty when it comes to enrollment, alumni employment and campus unrest, Touro University’s Lander College for Women (LCW) continues to grow.  The school offers students a safe environment, personal and academic growth and practical pathways towards meaningful careers. LCW is led by Dean Marian Stoltz-Loike, an innovative leader who takes a personal approach with students, guiding them through their academic years and keeping in touch as they enter the workplace.

The evening following Shabbos VaYeitzei was scheduled for a melaveh malkah at the Hebrew Academy of Nassau County, the yeshivah in West Hempstead. Unknown to the faculty, parents, and students was the news that its founder, Rabbi Meyer Fendel, 94, died in Jerusalem. Upon learning of his passing, Rabbi Ouriel Hazan, the principal of HANC, expressed pride in the founder’s determination to create a yeshivah in West Hempstead, which made the community a magnet for Orthodox families.