News

Donald Trump’s presidential legacy includes an array of highlights, but the appointment of Amy Coney Barrett as the 103^rd justice on the United States Supreme Court will forever be a notable climax. The first decision where her influence weighed heavily was passed down late on the eve of Thanksgiving, giving many a welcome surprise this past Thursday morning in a ruling that has temporarily barred New York State from enforcing the restrictive 10- and 25-person attendance limits at houses of worship in red and orange zones, respectively.

 A Parents’ Story

We are blessed to have a beautiful family, with six wonderful children.  Four of them have special needs.

A story we heard long ago about the Netziv, Rav Naftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin, has framed our perspective and given us the ability to feel truly blessed.  At a siyum upon completing his famous sefer, The Ha’amek Sheila, the Netziv told his talmidim that as a young boy he had been less focused, until one day he overheard his father telling someone that he was upset about his son’s inattentiveness.  Realizing the pain he was causing his father was the push he needed to turn things around, to become a serious student. “Imagine,” he said to the assembled, “if I had not heard about my father’s distress. I would have grown up, living as a good Jew, and would have died without ever having written seforim. In heaven, I would have been asked where The Ha’amek Sheila was and I would have thought they were mistaking me for someone else. We each have a purpose in life. Boruch Hashem, I was fortunate enough to overhear a conversation which helped put me on the right path.”

Part II

The following is the transcription of the second installment of Rebecca Rushfield Wittert’s in-person interview with Rabbi Fabian Schonfeld about the origins of Kew Gardens Hills, conducted at his home in February 2018. It is continued from last week.

College of Staten Island and Programs in Biochemistry and Chemistry at the CUNY Graduate Center

 City University of New York was once a bastion for free and safe public higher education. Among its stakeholders, Jewish New Yorkers flocked to the lecture halls of City College, Brooklyn College, Hunter College, and Queens College and received excellent preparation for careers in law, education, engineering, business, the humanities and the sciences. I myself have been fortunate to be a faculty member at the College of Staten Island and the CUNY Graduate School for nearly 50 years. My wife received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Queens College. We and our fellow Jews belong at CUNY and demand that all communities and stakeholders in the University are welcomed and treated fairly. Today we feel less than welcome at CUNY.

Remembering the unassuming KGH couple who were the very definition of generosity

Much credit for the content herein goes to the Kuppermanns’ daughter, Wendy Joy Binah Kuppermann, and Yehuda Weinberg.

When tragedy strikes, there is often no rhyme or reason. Yet we often find unsung heroes who rarely desire recognition or accolade. Jews, in particular, have long found Florida as a refuge from the chaos and fast-paced life elsewhere, and many have settled on its shores to ride out their golden years. The Surfside Champlain South Towers oceanfront condominium collapse last Thursday, just north of Miami Beach, has left 12 confirmed dead and 149 victims unaccounted for, as structural flaws are revealed and an investigation before a grand jury appears imminent. Most apartments in this complex had a mezuzah affixed on their doorposts, and during wintertime this condo has a much higher occupancy rate. There remains a concern that there are duplicate names on the unaccounted list, as both English and Hebrew names might have been reported to the rescue team.