Sergey Kadinsky

As the college Jewish scene is concerned, Queens College is unique for having a sizable Jewish student body on a campus located next to a thriving Jewish neighborhood. Since 2004, Rabbi Shaul and Tzipah Wertheimer have been on campus to strengthen Jewish observance among students, splitting their events between on-campus spaces and their attached home on 69^th Avenue.

Residents of West Hempstead have been complaining about speeding traffic on Woodfield Road for many years, and throughout the neighborhood there are lampposts covered with flowers in memory of individuals who were fatally struck by motorists. Alongside calls to reduce speeding, the race for County Legislator for the 14th district is picking up pace.

The news of Hamas breaching the Gaza border and pouring into Israel was whispered among the shuls on Sh’mini Atzeres as people heard their voicemails and saw their screens light up with messages from relatives in Israel. Others heard about it from the security guards posted at the entrance.

From his home in Riverdale, Dr. Avraham (Avi) Henoch can see the Palisades and the Hudson River, where he sails as a hobby. Seven years ago, he applied his love of the ocean in service of the country and the Jewish community, serving as a volunteer medical officer for the US Coast Guard.

Jack (Jacob J.) Lew, 68, the Queens-born former Secretary of the Treasury, is making history again, having been picked by President Joe Biden as the next ambassador to Israel. The appointment comes during a critical moment, as the United States negotiates with Saudi Arabia on its much-anticipated recognition of Israel, ongoing protests in Israel against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and the Israeli request to allow for visa-free entry to the United States for its citizens.

Among the friends in Kew Gardens Hills whom I’ve known for many years are Michael and Chipper Perlman, whose lives are as local as it gets. He grew up in Hillcrest and she is from Monsey. They attended Queens College, got engaged on the Brooklyn Bridge, and settled in Kew Gardens Hills. Last month, they moved out of their apartment and reappeared in West Hempstead, where many of their former neighbors have relocated.