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Margaret Tietz held meaningful and full services throughout the chagim thanks to the young scholars from Rabbinical Seminary of America RSA-Yeshiva Chofetz Chaim of Queens, who led the minyanim with enthusiasm. 

Yeshiva Tiferes Moshe is excited to welcome their new Menahel, Rabbi Don Pacht, back to Queens! While Rabbi Pacht grew up in Kew Gardens Hills, he has spent the last 17 years in Vancouver, Canada, where he was Head of School of the Vancouver Hebrew Academy. During his tenure there, he built VHA into a top-ranked school with an international reputation for quality instruction, with a strong focus on midos tovos and social/emotional growth.

The joy of Sukkos came alive for Emet Outreach students with a number of engaging programs. A beautiful sukkah adorned the great lawn at St. John’s University, a collaboration between Emet and the Jewish Student Association (JSA). Students appreciated having a sukkah on campus all week, and the highlight was an event that drew a crowd of over 60 students. While enjoying a delicious Chinese buffet, students heard words of inspiration about the chag from Rabbi Akiva Rutenberg, Emet Co-Founder and Director. Many students had the opportunity to partake in the mitzvah of lulav and esrog, as well.

Throughout history, David HaMelech’s book of Psalms has been a traditional source of inspiration, clarity, chizuk, and comfort in times of distress. Whenever we find ourselves in difficult situations, whether individually or communally, we open the Book of Psalms and use David HaMelech’s poetic praises and supplications to ask Hashem for mercy. Throughout the 150 chapters, there are praises, declarations, and supplications spanning the full range of human emotions (e.g., fear, hope despair, excitement). All of the chapters convey an emotional awareness of Hashem’s involvement in every aspect of our lives. The Midrash tells us that when King David compiled the Psalms, he had in mind himself, as well as every Jew of every generation and every circumstance. The words of the Psalms contain appropriate chapters for every possible situation, feelings, and circumstances.

REACH will initially service families in the Empire State

Yachad, the Orthodox Union’s division for individuals with disabilities in the Jewish community, has announced the launch of REACH, a new Jewish communal resource and referral service for individuals with disabilities and their families. The program will initially serve the New York region, although the group plans to scale operations to accommodate families throughout the United States over time.

As world Jewry rebuilt in the aftermath of the Holocaust, Forest Hills was one of many areas that merited to continue the evolution of frumkeit. One of its most prominent yet unassuming residents, Reb Yechiel Benzion Fishoff z”l, passed away on Monday, September 20 at age 97. The man who was known the world over simply as Benny was a devoted servant of Hashem, and used his daring escape from the Nazis as a catalyst to perpetuate authentic religious Judaism in a post-war world.