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On Tish’ah B’Av, Mr. David Linn, author of an upcoming sefer on sh’miras ha’lashon, Shmirah Ba’Shavua, and longtime teacher of sefer Chofetz Chaim, shared an inspiring shiur on the purity of speech at the Jewish Heritage Center in Kew Gardens Hills and at Havurat Yisrael in Forest Hills. It was sponsored by Lewis and Beth Gray in memory of their dear friend Israel Zwick – Yisrael ben Yosef z”l.

Sadly, again this year, again on Tish’ah B’Av, we sat on the floor and mourned the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash. Thankfully, Chazaq and Beth Gavriel hosted a Tish’ah B’Av learning program at Beth Gavriel with fantastic speakers every half hour during the day, from 10:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., and Charlie Harary spoke at night.

On July 14, Rabbi Berel Wein, famous author and lecturer, shared a shiur on parshiyos Matos-Mas’ei at Beit Knesset HaNasi, where he is Senior Rav.

Rabbi Zalman Deutscher, Dean of Yeshiva Primary, holds a teacher appreciation luncheon for the faculty of the school twice a year: in February and at the end of the school year, to express his hakaras ha’tov to the teachers and administrators. This event was originally initiated by the parent body as an expression of gratitude.

On Sunday, July 9, Rabbi Reuben Ebrahimoff, speaker, author, known as the haftarah man, shared an enlightening shiur on the haftaros of the three weeks.

Rabbi Stuart Verstandig, President of the Young Israel of Kew Gardens Hills, welcomed everyone. He shared that this shiur was part of the Rabbi Fabian Schonfeld zt”l Education Center.

On Tuesday, July 11, Shira Smiles gave a shiur titled “Where Are Your Priorities” at the OU Israel Center. She began by sharing that the tribes of Reuven, Gad, and half of Menashe settled on the other side of the Jordan. They asked for permission to settle on the eastern side of the Jordan River, and to build pens for their flocks and huts for their children. The Midrash says that Reuven and Gad mentioned their sheep before their children. In Melachim Beis, it states that these three tribes were put into exile earlier than the others because they took their inheritance early and they were likewise punished for their priorities.