Local

This past Tuesday, December 25, Queens Shmira's Meals for Heroes initiative warmed hearts and filled stomachs as they delivered dairy lunches from Naomi's Pizza and Falafel to NYPD station houses in Kew Gardens (102nd Precinct), KGH (107th Precinct), Forest Hills (112th Precinct), and the Transit District 20 office at the Briarwood subway station. With many non-kosher eateries closed and families celebrating at home, officers were touched by this thoughtful gesture from the Jewish community. It was a small but meaningful way to thank those who sacrifice so much to keep us safe.

In a significant move, Daniel Loeb, the president and principal financial backer of the Margaret and Daniel Loeb Foundation, has redirected a $1 million donation originally destined for Columbia University to enhance Jewish education. This announcement was made at the Yeshiva University Chanukah celebration, where Loeb, the dinner chairman, highlighted his concerns about the relevance of traditional Ivy League institutions in the future, comparing Harvard's prospective trajectory to that of MSNBC in the news industry.

A large community contingent attended Chabad of Rego Park’s menorah lighting at Federoff Triangle on Sunday, December 29.  An LED menorah topped off with jugs of oil shined on the fifth night of Chanukah at the plaza by 67^th Avenue.

The fourth-grade boys file one by one into the classroom, wide eyes taking in the colorful posters on the walls. Shyly, they find their seats, put their brand- new backpacks on the floor and look up at the rebbi. Nervous himself, the young rebbi goes up and down the rows, asking cach boy to introduce himself.

NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch has promoted Yisroel Hecht, a Lubavitcher chasid from Crown Heights, to Deputy Commissioner of IT. He officially stepped into the role on Monday, December 30.

I recently had the privilege of visiting the Israel Chesed Center (ICC) several times, and each experience left me in awe. On October 7, my granddaughter, Lonnie Levin, a 9th grader at Shulamith, spoke at the “Tekes Zikaron,” which was attended by over 700 people. Just last month, my husband, Rav Moshe Weinberger, had the honor of giving the introductory remarks for Rav Yitzchak Dovid Grossman, the renowned “Disco Rabbi” from Migdal HaEmek, at a packed Evening of Chizuk.