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Queens Centers for Progress is made up of people working together to promote the independence of individuals with developmental disabilities. They play many different roles, but each of the agency’s more than 600 staff members is focused on this same goal.

As we approach the joyous holiday of Purim, we are reminded of one of the most powerful messages in Jewish history: No matter how dark the situation may seem, we must never give up hope. The story of Purim itself is a perfect example of this.

The Queens Jewish Link (QJL) marked a milestone that blended tradition, pride, and purpose – an exuberant bar mitzvah celebration honoring 13 years of publication and 600 issues of impactful journalism. The event, emceed by the charismatic Nachum Segal, drew a vibrant crowd to the Young Israel of Jamaica Estates of community leaders, elected officials, and Jewish activists who gathered to reflect on the paper’s legacy, and honor a slate of individuals whose dedication has fortified the Jewish spirit in Queens and beyond.

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, the highest-ranking Jewish Republican in America and the first Jewish Executive in the county’s history, kicked off his re-election campaign with a rousing speech in Massapequa.

The familiar surroundings of the Emet Center on Union Turnpike were temporarily traded for the grandeur of Buckingham Palace when students and staff traveled across the pond for a first-ever trip to London, England. This landmark jaunt was the culmination of an 8-week jHealth program designed to integrate Judaism with a future in medicine. Thirty-five students from Queens College and Adelphi University were accompanied by a devoted Emet team including Co-Founders Rabbi Akiva Rutenberg and Rabbi Mordechai Kraft, as well as Program Director Sara Benyamin and her husband Yiggy. The five-day itinerary blended education, exploration and opportunities for impactful spiritual growth.

Fifteen months ago, on October 7, 2023, Arab Muslim terrorists, associating as Hamas, broke a ceasefire with Israel by murdering 1,200 innocent Jews, including peace activists, at an all-night “nova festival” and regular families in their nearby kibbutz homes. They murdered, they raped live women before murdering them, and raped women they had already murdered. They beheaded men, women, and children, sliced off body parts while their victims still were alive, and burned living, breathing babies to death in kitchen ovens.