Shabsie Saphirstein

In preparation for Purim, the Mayor’s Jewish Advisory Council hosted a community-wide pre-Purim Safety Meeting this past Monday, March 18. On behalf of Queens Shmira, I received an invited from Moshe Davis of the Mayor’s CAU. The program featured city officials and law enforcement agencies. Important discussions on community safety were discussed. Alexander Rapaport, Executive Director of Masbia, provided the iconic holiday treat of hamantaschen for all in attendance. Alex brought along bracelets, groggers, and his fifty-pound hamantaschen to the program.

The spirit of Purim radiated throughout the aisles at Seasons of Queens Kosher Supermarket in Kew Gardens Hills this past Sunday, March 10, as the community staple held a family-friendly festive celebration dubbed “It Must Be Purim at… Seasons.” The program drew many neighborhood families and filled the store with gleaming faces of community children.

Well over 1,000 community members piled into the spacious Hadar Bet Yaakov multipurpose room for a pre-Purim carnival organized by the incredible All About Kindness organization on Sunday afternoon, March 10. Designed as a measure to give back to the community – comprising individuals who donate their time and money for the betterment of Queens’ Jewish community – founder Lyudmila Mierova pulled off the impossible in a mere four days of planning.

On Tuesday, a drawing of hate against the Jewish community was sketched with a marker on a door at Hillcrest High School. The depiction has since been removed, and the incident remains under investigation by the detective squad of the NYPD’s 107th Precinct.

Last June, I was invited to attend the Jerusalem Conference in New York at the New York Hilton Midtown in the hours following the Celebrate Israel Parade. The event was eye-opening and informative, as Ministers of the Knesset, Israeli elected officials, noted CEOs, and other personalities shared their views and mingled with the crowd. The expansive delegation of Israeli dignitaries that visited New York helped to strengthen the connection between Israeli and United States Jewry.

I took a few minutes this past Sunday afternoon, Rosh Chodesh Adar Beis, to visit Congregation Ahavas Yisroel’s Purim Carnival. Talmidim and talmidos of members at Rav Hershel Welcher’s shul enjoyed paradigmatic carnival booths, like Coke or Pepsi, staffed by elder bachurim, as Jews worldwide gear up for Purim jubilation. Pizza, cotton candy, and more fun kept all entertained!