Community Corner

The annual meeting of the Great Neck Synagogue (GNS), this year held on Wednesday, June 1, drew sizable attendance, despite torrential downpours. As has been the general practice, the meeting enabled the congregation to formally appoint its lay leadership and present mementos of recognition to deserving individuals.

Scenes from the JFK Regular Democratic Club meeting held this past Thursday evening, June 16, at the Jewish Center of Kew Gardens Hills.

Reacting to a recent decision by the Parliament of the Brussels-Capital Region to reject an ordinance banning the slaughter of animals without stunning, World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder said, “I am deeply gratified by the Brussels Parliament’s rejection of a proposed ban on the slaughter of animals without stunning. While Jewish communities value the welfare of animals, the now-rejected regulation would have effectively prevented Jews from observing Jewish dietary practices and in turn drastically undermined the ability of Belgian Jews to continue as a community. By today’s action, these legislators have demonstrated their support for religious freedom and the right of Jews and other faith groups to continue practicing their traditions and laws in the Brussels region in dignity.”

The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America (Orthodox Union), the nation’s largest Orthodox Jewish umbrella organization, applauded the US Supreme Court’s ruling declaring unconstitutional the State of Maine’s policy that prohibits parents from using state tuition assistance payments at religious high schools. The ruling is in the case of Carson v. Makin with the majority opinion (6-3) authored by Chief Justice Roberts.

The United States Supreme Court today issued a landmark ruling that positively impacts religious schools’ ability to participate in state aid programs. The Court ruled that the First Amendment’s Free Exercise Clause prohibits states from discriminating not only against schools that identify as religious, but also those that actively teach religious subjects. This ruling eases the way for state aid to flow to parents who choose to send their children to religious schools.

David HaMelech says: “The sound of rejoicing and salvation is in the tents of the righteous... Open for me the gates of righteousness, I will enter them and thank G-d” (T’hilim 118:15, 19).  The word “ohel” [“tent”] signifies a non-permanent dwelling. A “bayis” [house] is a permanent dwelling. Rabbi Frand explains that the reason there is rejoicing and salvation, enjoyment and contentment, in the lives of the righteous is that their existence in this world is like that of a tent – temporary. In this world, we have work to do and mitzvos that must be performed. But our physical surroundings are only temporary dwellings – tents.