Community Corner

The days of Chanukah are a time to thank Hashem and praise His Great Name “…for Your miracles, for Your wonders, and for Your salvations.” We recall what Hashem did for our forefathers and for us as a nation. We recall how He, in His great love for us, saved us from countless enemies – people who were much bigger and stronger than us.

Assemblyman David I. Weprin convened a gathering of community leaders and elected officials this past Monday morning at Bagels & Co. in Fresh Meadows to denounce the recent antisemitic threats made against the establishment on November 10 by an unidentified individual who approached patrons and employees and made threats to burn the store down. Staff of the establishment, located at 188-02 Union Turnpike, reported the incident to the NYPD, who are investigating it as a hate crime as they seek the whereabouts of the dangerous individual.

The Queens Jewish Community Council (QJCC) has selected long-time Jewish communal worker and Queens resident Mayer Waxman to serve as their next executive director.

Eretz Yisrael means something different for every Jew. But to the 20,045 voters who cast ballots for the Eretz HaKodesh slate of the World Zionist Organization, Eretz Yisrael has taken on a new meaning. Rabbi Pesach Lerner, founder and chairman of the group, became the vital voice of Diaspora Jews in Israel. This past weekend, Rabbi Lerner hosted Eretz HaKodesh’s inaugural summit at the Woodcliff Lake resort in New Jersey to show appreciation to his colleagues for their work in achieving this monumental feat and to express appreciation to those responsible for helping reach this milestone. “It is Hashem whom we thank for the past, present, and future.”

More than 21% of assets were distributed to charities in all sectors.

The Jewish Communal Fund (JCF), the largest Jewish donor-advised fund in the country, distributed $520 million in grants to charities in all sectors during the 2021 fiscal year ending June 30, 2021. JCF Fundholders recommended a record number of grants – 72,000 – to thousands of charitable organizations, a 13% increase from 2020. The average grant amount was $7,194.

Hamaspik expands to the Five Towns, filling a great need in the community

“For so many parents of children with special needs, getting services meant dealing with agencies from other communities who didn’t get our culture,” says Chava Laufer, OPWDD-HCBS regional manager in the Five Towns.  “We needed a local agency that can provide services catered to our every nuance. Hamaspik, ever on the lookout to service even more people even better, saw the opportunity to help people in the Five Towns.”