Susie Garber

On Sunday night, February 13, while the Super Bowl drew a lot of attention, there was something much more attention-grabbing and meaningful. “Halftime for Torah” kicked off a rousing touchdown into the viewers’ hearts. First, Charlie Harary, well-known motivational speaker, shared that we tend to forget the journey of those playing in the Super Bowl. He noted how the Torah instructs us to procure pure olive oil crushed for illumination to raise up the Ner Tamid. The question is that we know the olives have to be crushed in order to produce oil. Why does the Torah say crushed for illumination to elevate? Olive oil represents fruit that is bitter. This symbolizes hard times. Hashem is teaching us to take hard times, crush them – work them – and from it we will raise ourselves in life.

On Tuesday evening, January 17, “Tuesday Timely Torah Talks” featured Rabbi Ashie Schreier of the Young Israel of Forest Hills. Rabbi Schreier is also on staff at Caring Professionals Home Care. Rabbi Yaniv Meirov, Operations Manager of Chazaq, welcomed everyone and shared how our goal is to look at the world through the prism of Torah and to bring the Torah into our lives. He asked Rabbi Schreier how we can keep our previous mistakes from pulling us down.

On Wednesday evening, February 9, Chazaq, Chickens for Shabbos, and Shlomo Meirov sponsored another wonderful distribution for m’chanchim, moros, and divorcees. Over 200 people signed up. Again, the Ner Mordechai shul in Kew Gardens kindly hosted this beautiful event. Everyone was welcomed with a smile and a personal greeting, and then they were directed to the ballroom that was filled with an incredible assortment of brand-new household items – every imaginable donated item.

Chazaq and Chickens for Shabbos hosted a new series on “Let’s Be Our Best with Rabbi Lazer Brody,” author and inspirational speaker. Rabbi Brody shared a virtual shiur on Motza’ei Shabbos, January 29, on focusing on a goal. “The difference between people who succeed and those who don’t is those who do are totally focused on their goal. Those who don’t succeed don’t have a specific goal in mind. There’s an expression in English, “pastime.” This means no purpose. Any marksman or archer knows that to hit the bullseye you need to be honed in and focused on the target. You need total concentration.

On Tuesday evening, February 8, the Navigating the Medical System Lecture Series, hosted by Congregation Etz Chaim, presented an informative virtual lecture on liver disease. Dr. Mel Breite, Founder and Director of the Navigating the Medical System Lecture Series, shared that screening for colon cancer is now recommended for those 45 and over and it’s a 100% avoidable disease. He noted that everyone receives blood tests when they have a check-up, and in the metabolic profile there is a liver test. A lot of people receive abnormal results on that test. He then introduced the featured speaker, Dr. Constantine Fisher, MD, attending gastroenterologist at NewYork-Presbyterian Queens Hospital.

On Sunday night, January 23, Let’s Get Real With Coach Menachem featured Rabbi David Becker, LCSW-CCSP, Adjunct Professor at the Wurzweiler Graduate School of Social Work of Yeshiva University, and psychotherapist specializing in ADHD.