Local

Kew Gardens Hills has been in the limelight of the political arena ever since it was declared a red zone at the height of the pandemic. More interest followed, with national attention surrounding the James Gennaro’s successful City Council race against an antisemitic opponent, where the City’s Ranked-Choice voting methodology was first put to the test. Since then, Assembly Member Daniel Rosenthal has been credited with keeping the focus on Central Queens.

Linda Lee hopes to be the answer for Jewish causes of Eastern Queens. This message was made clear at a gathering held this past Sunday evening at the Holliswood home of Michelle and Danny Gejerman to hear from the District 23 City Council candidate. Community leaders and friends gathered to hear from activists who helped James Gennaro win his Special Election in nearby District 24 back in February when he was faced with a DSA-endorsed candidate. The anti-Israel candidate in Lee’s race has won the endorsement of AOC.

Over Memorial Day Weekend, Queens Borough President candidate Elizabeth Crowley met with several Jewish leaders in the Kew Gardens Hills area and toured several small businesses in the area.

Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa has an astounding amount of name recognition. Nearly everyone Sliwa encountered had wonderful memories and thoughts to share. Sliwa is no stranger to Kew Gardens Hills, having regularly shopped at Seasons Supermarket when they first opened. During his visit, Sliwa reminisced of Yiddish terms that stood out over the years and pledged to be the answer for New York City’s rehabilitation. Unlike other mayoral candidates, Sliwa spent the better part of three hours speaking with hundreds of locals, stopping for photos, and sharing memories.

This past Thursday evening, the Queens community marked the Shloshim of the 45 k’doshim from Meron with an awe-inspiring community-wide kumsitz held at Kehilas Torah Temimah. Singing sensation Eli Levin took the crowd on a moving journey with each tune.

HAFTR Early Childhood’s three-year Nursery students performed their end-of-year show virtually for audiences filled with parents, grandparents, and adoring fans! They did a wonderful job showcasing all the knowledge they have amassed this year, and songs they have learned. Mazal tov!