Queens Jewish Link
Connecting the Queens Jewish Community 
On Motza’ei Shabbos, January 1, Chazaq, Torah Anytime, Daily Giving, and Chickens for Shabbos hosted “Turn Saturday Night into Motza’ei Shabbos,” featuring Dr. David Lieberman, PhD, a psychologist, author, and well-known speaker, and Rabbi Dovid Goldwasser, well-known speaker and author. This amazing program is featured every Motza’ei Shabbos at 8:30 pm on TorahAnytime.com/Live events.
On Monday evening, December 13, Rebbetzin Devorah Kigel, well-known speaker and teacher for Emet Outreach, spoke on behalf of the organization on the topic of why marriage is so hard. In her inimitable way, Rebbetzin Kigel shared wise insights and practical advice. She has had years of experience as a dating and marriage coach. She shared that her shiur was geared to the average couple dealing with normal things. She began with the following disqualifier: If a relationship is dealing with abuse or addictions, then this requires professional help beyond the scope of her lecture. She shared that she can refer people to professionals who can help with these types of situations. She added that “Torah is not a substitute for therapy.” Torah does help everyone, no matter their situation.
On Sunday evening, January 2, Rabbi Dr. Jonathan Schwartz, PsyD, a clinical psychologist, licensed in New York and New Jersey, specializing in anxiety, spoke for Let’s Get Real With Coach Menachem. Coach Menachem Bernfeld began by sharing that we’re all performing in life. Sometimes we want to do something and we start feeling nervous so we stop doing it. “Life starts beyond your comfort zone.” It’s a good feeling after you are able to step out of your comfort zone. This is how we grow in life.
We are fortunate to live in Kew Gardens Hills, which is such a vibrant, frum community, filled with young couples from Yeshiva Chofetz Chaim, Yeshivas Ohr HaChaim, Lander College for Men, Queens College, and more. Our community is known for its beautiful achdus, and this was highlighted recently with the start of a new holy project in Queens. Ashkenazim, Sefardim, Jews from every background, came together with a like-minded goal: to reconstruct our Kew Gardens Hills Mikveh. The mikveh has not been renovated or modernized for the past 20 years. Any homeowner will attest to the fact that there is wear and tear and a need for upgrading after that many years.
On Sunday evening, December 26, Let’s Get Real With Coach Menachem featured Rabbi Yechiel Spero, educator and author of the Touched by a Story series and Dr. Eli Shapiro, licensed clinical social worker and Founder of the Digital Citizenship Project. The discussion focused on how to create a close relationship with our children.
On Sunday, December 5, Zos Chanukah, Chazaq and Mikvah USA hosted an incredible night of inspiration for women with two dynamic speakers. First, Rebbetzin Amit Yaghoubi, well-known inspirational speaker, shared a big thank you to Chazaq for all they do in every area of Jewish society. They are interested in helping every Jew. “Chazaq has big goals.” She thanked Mikvah USA for providing the framework to enable people to keep the mitzvah of mikvah. “This is what the Jewish family is – it is family purity.”
