Queens Jewish Link
Connecting the Queens Jewish Community 
Tish’ah B’Av, observed on the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av, is a solemn day in Judaism, marked by mourning and fasting to commemorate the destruction of the First and Second Temples. The Holy Temples held immense significance in Jewish history as centers of worship and Divine presence.
The Mishnah (Taanis 26) teaches us, “Mi’she’nichnas Av m’maatim b’simchah,” at the beginning of [the month of] Av, we should moderate our joy. Numerous disasters affected the Jewish people on Tish’ah B’Av, such as the destruction of the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem. Our practices of mourning are increased as we enter the month of Av, and they become even more intensified in the week of Tish’ah B’Av.
A poem in honor of the 23rd yahrzeit of my father
Alexander Solomon
(Alexander Peretz ben Reb Pesach Yehudah)
Kaf-Tes Tamuz 5761
Sam Berger has spent the last ten months hard at work in the New York State Assembly representing the electorate of District 27. There was no Democratic primary for the general election set for this upcoming November 5, when Berger will face local electrician Angelo King, a familiar face on the ballot, but who’s without the backing of the influential Orthodox Jewish bloc. Berger’s current term concludes New Years Day.
Agudath Israel of America, along with The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, submitted an amicus “friend of the court” brief in a case seeking to hold UCLA accountable for failing to address antisemitic activity on campus. The lawsuit, Frankel, et al. v. Regents of the University of California, et al., was brought by three Jewish students attending UCLA, Yitzchok Frenkel, Joshua Ghayoum, and Eden Shemulian, and describes how UCLA administration initially permitted a pro-Hamas encampment to exist on campus and allowed the establishment of a “Jew Exclusion Zone” at the University earlier this year.
On Tuesday, July 16, Tuesday Torah Talks, hosted by Chazaq, featured a virtual interview with Rabbi Gavriel Sanders, author and speaker. Rabbi Yaniv Meirov, CEO of Chazaq and Rav of Congregation Charm Circle, welcomed everyone and introduced Rabbi Sanders, who shared his story of finding Judaism and becoming a convert.
