Community Corner

On Sunday night, amid a packed shul that included shul members, county representatives, and rabbanim from every shul in the neighborhood, the Young Israel of West Hempstead installed Rabbi Josh Goller as their newly appointed Rabbi. “Newly appointed” is a bit of a stretch, though. Rabbi Goller has been serving as the mara d’asra for over a year now. However, with the community mourning the loss of the much beloved and revered Rabbi Yehudah Kelemer, as well as the global pandemic, the celebration was postponed until this week.

State Should Allocate 20% of Nourish NY Funding for Kosher and Halal Needs

On Tuesday, in a letter to Gov. Hochul, Senate Majority Leader Stewart Cousins, and Speaker Heastie the Met Council on Jewish Poverty asked Governor Hochul and the state legislature to strengthen the Emergency Food Programs by allocating 20% of Nourish New York funding for Kosher and Halal food. Met Council operates the largest kosher food bank and pantry network in the country and has worked around the clock during the pandemic feeding countless New Yorkers. The new letter comes after Assembly Member Cruz, Assembly Member Rosenthal, and thirty-three Assembly signatories sent a letter to Speaker Heastie in February.

With a scarcity of kosher Passover food in Ukraine, UJA-Federation of New York worked with four local synagogues to collect 12,000 pounds of holiday food that will be distributed to Jews remaining in Ukraine as well as Jewish refugees who have been forced to flee. Food was collected at synagogues in Long Island, Westchester, and Manhattan on Sunday, March 27, and packed on Monday, March 28, by Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty, for shipment to Ukrainian Jewish communities.

Funding Made Possible by US Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, a Longtime Supporter of Ohel, Will Support the Maintenance of the Camp Kaylie Campgrounds

Ohel Children’s Home and Family Services announced the approval of a $495,000 grant to support the organization’s Camp Kaylie, located in Wurtsboro, New York. The funding was secured by US Senator Majority Leader Charles Schumer in the 2022 federal budget.

In testimony this week, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson said that the African Hebrew Israelite sect that appeared in her court was “a small community, a cultural community of people who believe in vegan lifestyles. They call themselves African Hebrew Israelites, but it’s not a religious community, it’s a cultural community around healthy living.” Following backlash, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency ran a news report asserting that “conservatives on Twitter” were “claiming erroneously that Jackson had embraced an anti-Semitic cult.”

On Tuesday evening, March 22, Yeshiva Kesser Torah hosted a virtual third yahrzeit commemoration of the Rosh Yeshivah of Yeshiva Kesser Torah, Rav Elyakim Getzel Rosenblatt zt”l. Rabbi Sholom Steinig, rav of the Young Israel of Bayside, spoke eloquently about his memories of Rabbi Rosenblatt. He shared that Rabbi Rosenblatt was an important community leader and a mentor and guide, and an example for the whole community.