Community Corner

The calm of a Shabbos morning walk to shul in West Hempstead was shattered when the Nassau County Police Department received a bomb threat targeting the Hebrew Academy of Nassau County’s Early Childhood Center. The unsettling events unfolded rapidly, leading to the evacuation and meticulous search of synagogues in the neighborhood. The threat came on both International Holocaust Remembrance Day and the day that Congressman Anthony D’Esposito was scheduled to appear at the community’s largest synagogue, the Young Israel of West Hempstead.

Emet Outreach continued its popular couples workshops with an informative evening on “Building Intentional Relationships.”  Held at the Young Israel of Jamaica Estates, the event attracted 25 couples at all stages of marriage. Participants enjoyed a buffet dinner and connecting with friends. Rabbi Akiva Rutenberg, Emet’s Co-founder and Director, delivered the main lecture with warmth and humor. Among his tips, he offered practical advice for focusing less on technology to ensure more quality, intentional and meaningful interactions in marriage.

The Jwave Teens Division of Chazaq is upping their game with transforming the learning experience by introducing unique daily mentorship learning. Since the beginning of the new school year, teens have engaged in more open discussions, posed tough questions, and delved into topics that resonate with their experiences, all facilitated by Chazaq mentors and friends.

The evening of January 27 saw the untimely passing of former Queens city councilman Paul Vallone (D-19), who had currently been serving as New York City’s Veterans Services Deputy Commissioner. Vallone suffered a heart attack at his home last Saturday evening, and was rushed to a Flushing hospital. His death was felt by many city public officials -- all of whom uniformly admired the married father of three who effectively served on the City Council between 2014 to 2021. Vallone was 56.

Rabbi Sholom Ahron Ehrenfeld, a magid shiur at Mesivta Keren Orah in Lakewood, New Jersey, shared an inspiring shiur on Torah Anytime.

Over the past century, eminent rabbinic figures have helped the Jewish nation navigate halachic issues relating to the State of Israel and its armed forces. Many of these rabbis who impacted our nation have been memorialized with streets named after them.