Queens Jewish Link
Connecting the Queens Jewish Community 
A century of life – defined by courage, education, and unwavering service – was celebrated with heartfelt warmth at the Margaret Tietz Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Jamaica Hills, as Jack Alkana marked his 100th birthday. The joyous milestone, observed this past Monday, June 23, honored a man whose legacy continues to inspire all who know him.
In a politically charged evening in Kew Gardens Hills, the Queens Jewish Alliance hosted former Governor and mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo on Monday night for a powerful address to community leaders and activists. The event, held in the home of Shimmy and Sorolle Idels, reflected both deep concern and high hopes from the Jewish community regarding the city’s future.
When HaGaon HaRav Yitzhak Yosef shlita, former Rishon L’Tzion and son of the legendary Maran HaRav Ovadia Yosef zt”l, landed in the United States last week, it wasn’t part of a speaking tour or rabbinic conference. The Rav had just concluded a scheduled chizuk trip in Italy and planned to return to Eretz Yisrael, when news broke of missile strikes and the sudden closure of Ben Gurion Airport. Without hesitation, he rerouted his journey – not to wait idly in exile, but to bring inspiration to American shores.
On a night infused with conviction, heartbreak, and unity, Mayor Eric Adams hosted a powerful roundtable discussion alongside Dr. Phil McGraw and dozens of Jewish leaders, community activists, Holocaust survivors, and young advocates to address the surge of antisemitism in New York City and across the globe. Held at Manhattan’s Tribeca Synagogue on short notice, the event marked a watershed moment: the official signing of an executive order adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism across all New York City agencies.
Forest Hills hub becomes home base for civic engagement and Jewish pride
In a spirited effort to ignite Jewish civic engagement and strengthen communal unity, Jewish Voters Unite (JVU) officially opened its Queens Voter Center on Erev Shavuos, welcoming more than 80 participants into its new Forest Hills storefront. The event marked not just the start of a campaign, but the beginning of a movement deeply rooted in Torah values and community pride.
On Sunday morning, May 18, the stunning Cipriani 42nd Street in Midtown Manhattan set the stage for Met Council’s Annual Legislative Breakfast. In a venue known for hosting the most elegant affairs in the city, hundreds of leaders from across government, law, and communal service came together to celebrate the mission of Met Council: providing dignity, stability, and support to over 325,000 New Yorkers annually. From the heart of Midtown, this event radiated a bold reminder that fighting poverty is not a partisan issue — it’s a moral obligation.
