News

In this season of thanksgiving, it’s important to give thanks for friends, family, food, freedom, and all the other blessings we enjoy in this great nation.

The autumn rain did not deter 150 runners from circling the Unisphere globe in Flushing Meadows Park last Sunday in a 5K challenge benefiting families in need. “It was insane, really wet,” said Laura Schutzman, whose daughter attends fourth grade at the Yeshiva of Central Queens. “There was so much school pride to run for three miles in pouring rain, and people on the sidelines offering doughnuts and coffee.”

The General Election this Tuesday does not involve the highest offices in the country, state, or city, but it offers voters an opportunity to alter the city’s “constitution” with five questions concerning conflicts of interest, community-police relations, voting, budget, and land use. It also offers a final say on the full terms ahead for Public Advocate and Queens District Attorney.

Today’s world is fraught with random anti-Semitic episodes alongside arbitrary acts of violence. Safety must remain an ever-present prerequisite in our society, no matter one’s age or background.

Around 2,500 Attend Orthodox Union’s Torah New York Day of Learning

Torah took the mound at Citi Field in Flushing this past Sunday as the Orthodox Union (OU) fielded a team of 29 internationally renowned scholars who led classes on a wide array of 31 subjects for around 2,500 participants at its third annual Torah New York event. The classes ranged from more traditional approaches on how to spiritually prepare for the Jewish High Holidays to more modern issues like repentance in a time of social media and the effects artificial intelligence will have on Shabbos observance in the future. Moishe Bane, President of the OU, noted how encouraging it is to see the enormous numbers of the community eager to engage in Torah study in preparation for the Jewish New Year. “It is so exciting to observe the eagerness of our community to connect to Torah study and to a deeper understanding of their relationship to G-d,” he said. “In these days immediately before the High Holidays, I cannot imagine a more profound message to G-d of our eagerness to connect.”

Achiezer did not disappoint with its third installation of the Jewish Healthcare Conference and Expo this past Sunday at the TWA Hotel in Queens. The array of featured medical resources covered the gamut of the healthcare arena, showcased by Northwell Health’s wide range of services and its facilities both in Valley Stream and Forest Hills. The event provided for Jewish healthcare consumers, caregivers, vendors, and service providers to network in a vibrant space highlighting proactive healthcare and eldercare. Empowerment and education were at the forefront of organizers’ and presenters’ minds, as attendees sought solutions for either themselves or others in their midst. One Kew Gardens Hills resident noted that he attended to find available resources for his mother-in-law as she had just moved into his residence with early stages of dementia. So, inspired by an early lecture, this gentleman hastily arranged for his mother-in-law to join. Achiezer board member Dovid Bloom stated how powerful of an experience it was to witness such a variety of people seeking their own avenues to deal with the years that are to come.