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One cannot imagine the indignation of our rabbinical, medical, and public leaders at the noncompliance of certain communities concerning the order to daven at home. This past Motza’ei Shabbos, hundreds of Bnei Brak residents poured out into the streets to follow the funeral procession of a rabbi affiliated with a hard-line anti-Zionist faction. Rather than to provoke a riot and possibly infect themselves, police officers were reluctant to enforce social distancing rules.

Rabbi Elyakim Getzel Rosenblatt zt”l was a unique individual who left a tremendous impact on so many of his talmidim and on our community. His first yahrzeit was this past Sunday night. The event to commemorate his yahrzeit has been postponed due to the pandemic. Baruch Hashem, we had this incredible gadlus right here in Queens for so many years. There are not adequate words to express his accomplishments and his sterling midos. Woven into this biography are stories about Rabbi Rosenblatt that demonstrate who he was.

These days, many of us are living in some kind of quarantine – separated from each other and the daily activities that defined our day. We’re locked in our homes, feeling afraid and overwhelmed, worried about getting sick, or the health of our loved ones, or losing work, or how in Heaven’s Name we are going to keep our home-bound kids (and husbands) occupied and make Pesach at the same time. It’s extremely important at times like these to know how to focus inward, to regain a sense of balance, and to strengthen ourselves for the days ahead.

Rabbinic leaders and organizations across the Orthodox spectrum have, individually, declared the health threat presented by COVID-19 a mortal threat (sakanas n’fashos).

Please recite Psalms 20, 30, 88, 121, and 130.

Gavriel ben Geulah

Eliezer Nasan ben Tzirel

On Tuesday, UJA-Federation of New York (UJA) announced more than $23 million in immediate financial aid to help meet the ever-growing needs of vulnerable New Yorkers affected by coronavirus (COVID-19). The grants and loans are intended to offer immediate relief to New Yorkers facing food insecurity and to provide financial relief to UJA partner organizations so they can continue to provide essential health and human services to their communities.