Shabsie Saphirstein

On a perfect summer evening, more than 700 community members gathered in the open field beside Cunningham Park’s tennis courts, just off Union Turnpike and 196th Street, for an energetic, family-friendly concert. Hosted by the Queens Jewish Community Council (QJCC), the annual Summer Under the Stars celebration united Jews of all ages, backgrounds, and neighborhoods in an evening filled with ruach, music, and pride.

Just a week after Queens officially welcomed the NYPD’s Quality of Life Teams, Queens Shmira was invited to an exclusive meeting in Flushing to hear more about how these units will impact our neighborhoods. The gathering, held on Tuesday evening, August 19, brought community leaders face to face with the commanding officer of Queens North and the officers now leading the Q-Teams citywide.

Here in Queens – where Rabbi Berel Wein’s cassettes once lined the shelves of the Queens Torah Library and circulated from home to home – the loss of his voice feels deeply personal. As a young boy volunteering there, I remember how quickly his tapes disappeared into eager hands. That was one of my first encounters with his gravity: realizing that Jewish history, told through Torah, could stir the soul.

Jewish students nationwide have endured a troubling rise in harassment and intimidation on college campuses, particularly after the October 7 Hamas massacre in Israel. For many families in Queens, the question of whether their children can feel safe in institutions of higher learning has become pressing and personal.

On Rosh Chodesh Elul, the Young Israel of Hillcrest was filled with a spirit of inspiration and achdus, as hundreds gathered for a shiur with world-renowned maggid and mohel, Rabbi Paysach Krohn. The event, hosted by Chazaq in partnership with Renewal, All About Kindness, Bat Melech, and TorahAnytime, was dedicated l’ilui nishmas Rachel Aliza bas Ora Nisanov a”h and R’ David ben Istam Nisanov z”l, and for the continued r’fuah of Aviva Bracha bas Ora Nisanov.

Last Tuesday, I crisscrossed Queens for the 42^nd National Night Out Against Crime, an annual community-building campaign that strengthens police-community partnerships. Citywide, agency commissioners joined precincts across all five boroughs to honor community councils and commanding officers for their commitment to public safety. Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz summed it up perfectly: “National Night Out was a huge success once again! Members of my office staffed every #NNO location across the borough.”