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Hashevaynu Opens Its Doors For Mass Vaccination Drive

The road to recovery for Kew Gardens Hills took a welcome turn this past Monday evening in the Simchah Room of the former home of Khal Aderes Eliyahu – Rabbi Teitz’s shul. The story to my Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine (Johnson & Johnson) is credited to Rabbi Yehuda Zakutinsky and his Rebbetzin Adina of Hashevaynu, as well as Zev Nirenberg, a registered pharmacist and resident of Kew Gardens Hills. Hashevaynu lived true to its mission of making “all Jews who pass through its doors feel like cherished members of the family who know that their problems are our problems and their joys are our joys.”

Congregation Bais Yosef D’Ulem, under the leadership of Rav Yakov Yitzchok Friedman, has been a mainstay of Kew Gardens Hills, highlighted by its open-door policy of nonstop Shacharis minyanim that service the greater Queens community. The shul generally holds an annual melava malkah, but the pandemic has unfortunately removed that fundraising option. Still, the lights, heat, and air conditioning in the bais medrash must run, and the bills ultimately become due. The shul’s gabbaim have opted to dedicate the campaign in memory of two beloved neighbors. Dr. Shmuel Eli Landau, z”l, was devoted chaver and longtime mispalel whose petirah this past yud aleph Nisan left the community deeply pained. The loss of Mrs. Ann Kuppermann, a”h, on chaf zayin Kislev, also left a void that reverberated throughout the Jewish world. During the time of the melava malkah, the shul is reminded of Mrs. Kuppermann’s generosity as a recurring evening sponsor.

The days before Pesach coincide with first yartzeit of HaGaon Harav Aharon Walkin, ztk”l. Over the past year, much has been shared of Rebbe’s life, as his legacy has been established. A weekly Torah pamphlet, a dedicated portal for Torah thoughts and inspiration, and a food pantry are just a couple measures taken to date. This past Monday evening, March 22, the Rav’s sons, talmidim, and those closest to the Rosh HaYeshiva gathered at Simcha Palace for a Siyum HaShas of monumental significance.

With a little bit of advertising, pop-up sales are generally quite successful. The Chazaq Organization always seeks new ways to help the community, and partnered with Little Steps, a Monsey-based shoe retailer, to offer the Queens community an exclusive collection of European children’s footwear at bottom-dollar pricing. “The two-day event was meant to give families some relief after a year fraught with financial uncertainty. We chose to host the flash sale from our recently dedicated Lev Aharon Community Food Pantry, which just concluded an impressive communal distribution,” said Rabbi Yaniv Meirov, CEO of Chazaq. “It is Chazaq’s hope that we were able to make a difference for families ahead of Pesach and allow them to feel the difference both with their children getting new shoes and having some extra money in their wallets.”

This past Sunday, March 21, The Technology Awareness Group (TAG), in conjunction with the Chazaq Organization, visited the Kew Gardens Hills neighborhood where technicians offered filtering services as a community service for computers, smartphones, laptops, tablets, and many other digital devices. TAG experts install applications that either block or filter the devices, enabling their users to retain sacred Jewish values. The specialists are keen to filter all devices from Androids to iPhones and tablets to iPads, or computers like laptops or Macs. “We will even remove the browser from a 4G flip-phone,” explained the tech. Founded in 2014, the group now boasts 50 offices in 16 countries that are staffed by over 400 volunteers and staff. TAG has cemented itself as an international leader in the industry of “koshering” an electronic device.

The past week saw the launch of season three for JYL, “Jewish Youth League of Queens,” where children learn to perfect their basketball skills while finding new ways to work in a team setting. With the pandemic restrictions now being eased, E-Squared was once again able to partner with local organizations to unite the Jewish youth of Queens. Once again, in partnership with Beth Gavriel Community Center, the renowned Chazaq Organization, Alliance of Bukharian Americans (ABA), and this season with a new affiliate, Rabbi Fitness, the boys are back, better than ever!