Local

Shortly after 2 p.m. this past Wednesday afternoon, the vicinity of Hashevaynu in Kew Gardens Hills was thrown into chaos as 18 Orthodox Jewish children ranging from 16 months to 5 years were caught in the midst of a housefire that began in the basement where their daycare operated. Within 45 minutes, the fire was under control at the duplex at 147-07 72^nd Drive. It was all-hands-on-deck for Hatzolah of Queens and Great Neck, who worked together with the FDNY to treat the injured.

This week marks the shloshim of Senior Dati Leumi rav Rabbi Chaim Druckman z”l, 90, known as the spiritual leader of political religious Zionism; founder and Rosh HaYeshiva of Yeshivat Or Etzion, a Bnei Akiva state religious high school; and stood at the helm of the overall Bnei Akiva movement. Following in the footsteps of his mentor, Rabbi Zvi Yehuda Kook of Mercaz Harav Yeshiva, Druckman long held a far-right approach to politics, spearheading the settlers' movement with a 1968 Pesach seder in Chevron, and brokered political dealings while serving the State of Israel in the Knesset and as a deputy minister, earning him the Israel Prize for Lifetime Achievement.

Thelma “Toby” Geschwind a”h, Toiba Hena bas Moshe haLevi (u’Braina Rivkah), was a woman of valor – a true eishes chayil – who lived a life of dreams realized. Known for her bountiful acts of chesed in Jamaica Estates, and later in West Hempstead, Toby and her unselfish heart of gold were an exemplary role model for others, putting her family needs first, then those of her friends, all preceding her own. The essence of Toby’s life was defined by the translation of her Hebrew name Tovah, good. She persevered from a burdensome early life, losing three brothers at a young age and her mother when she was just 13, becoming the maternal figure to her seven-year-old brother and to her two older brothers. She was brought up by her aunt Anne a”h, establishing a bond with cousins Tena and Debra, whom she always considered her sisters.

After Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg offered a disgraceful plea deal of just six months in jail to Waseem Awawdeh for savagely beating Joey Borgen simply based on his faith, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman held a sizeable press conference to shed light on anti-Semitism this past Thursday, January 19. The room at the Ceremonial Chamber of the Theodore Roosevelt Executive & Legislative Building in Mineola was filled with county officials and activists who rallied in support of Borgen, with the general message addressing DA Bragg: “We won’t stand for such bail nonsense!”

The passing of Rabbi Joseph Katz z”l (HaRav Yosef ben HaRav Yisrael Alter HaKohen) last week left the greater Five Towns community in mourning. His funeral at Boulevard Riverside Chapels on Thursday, January 19, united the family and friends of the true kohen tzedek. Rabbi Katz exuded kiddush Hashem in all aspects of life. After the Holocaust, a young Katz immigrated to the US from Cuba, where he was known as Jose. He later received a yeshivah education at Yeshiva Torah Vodaath, starting at age 11, and picking up Daf Yomi early on. Divrei hesped were delivered by the Bostoner Rebbe, Rabbi Pinchas Weinberger, Rabbi Yaakov Bender, Rabbi Eytan Feiner, Rabbi Yaakov Reisman, and a few sons. Together with his wife, Nechama, he taught shalom, achdus, and chesed, which have thankfully spread throughout the Jewish world. K’vurah took place in Eretz HaChaim Cemetery, Beit Shemesh. He is mourned by his wife Nechama, his sister Leah Censor of Kew Gardens Hills, and his sons Zvi, Uri, Shlomo, Alter, Eli, Pini, and Nosson. Ultimately, no chesed was greater than welcoming Ben Chafetz z”l into his home as a ben bayis.

More despicable hate was found this week at Forest Park.

“Sadly, antisemitism has struck again in Queens, at Forest Park,” wrote Council Member Lynn Schulman on Monday evening, January 16. Her district encompasses Forest Hills, Rego Park, Richmond Hills, and Kew Gardens where the generally nice and safe park is situated. “Hatred against Jews is a growing issue, and we cannot allow this to keep happening.” The photo posted of swastikas spray-painted onto fallen tree limbs, taken during the day by a keen-eyed passerby, was seen by well over 16,000 on the Twitter social media platform alone. In response, the local 102^nd precinct of the New York Police Department immediately arranged for the removal of the offensive graffiti. The police department›s Hate Crimes unit was also made aware of the incident.