News

Queens-Born Chedvata Soldier Brings the Message to The Five Towns

The sense of unity and outrage following the Hamas attack on Israel resulted in unprecedented numbers of young chareidim signing up for military service, even as leading rabbis and politicians remain opposed to drafting yeshivah students amid the ongoing war in Gaza. Responding to their needs, Rabbi Yonatan Reiss seeks to expand Chedvata, a chareidi Hesder program that consists of Torah study in the mornings, career training in the afternoons with Ashkelon College, followed by army service in a chareidi IDF unit.

Chava Ben-David’s childhood in Queens was unique in some ways, as she was raised by her single father in a neighborhood far from her yeshivah. Determined to give her a Jewish education, her father Zelig drove her to school; but on one occasion, his car was being repaired and I volunteered to pick up Chava.

In his support for Israel, Dr. Gene Berkovich backs a variety of causes, sharing them with his extended family and community. Among them is Yatar, a volunteer-driven fleet of ATVs that arose from tragedy to prevent additional loss of life.

The Nine Days preceding Tish’ah B’Av are a time of introspection with a focus on healing divisions among Jews as we mourn the loss of the Beis HaMikdash. Last Sunday, Rabbi Yaakov Rahimi spoke at the House of Torah in West Hempstead in a lecture organized by Chazaq.

At the Young Israel of West Hempstead, Michal Lobanov Shares Her Personal Story of Tragedy, Strength, and Hope

Michal Lobanov lost her husband to Hamas terrorists and gained a global family that continues to support her and other widows of hostages and fallen soldiers. Last Sunday, she shared her experiences at the Young Israel of West Hempstead.

The once-in-five-years election that represents diaspora Jewry in the World Zionist Congress had a record turnout, with more than 230,000 votes cast, producing a historic result that gave the largest number of seats among the 22 parties to the Reform movement—even as its share of the seats dropped, with Orthodox parties picking up more votes than in the previous election.