Local

When one relocates from Queens to the suburbs, very quickly there is a realization that government functions are conducted differently across the county line. There are multiple units of government that each levies taxes, holds elections, and has overlapping boundaries. Certain public services are provided not by governments, but private companies, as in the case of West Hempstead’s water supply.

 In the first year of the coronavirus pandemic, any of us can speak of a theater, museum, library, or any other cultural venue that was closed out of an “abundance of caution.” When some of these places reopened, we were curious to see how they adapted to social distancing and simply to reconnect to elements of New York that brought us back to a normal time. A couple of weeks ago, the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum on the west side of Manhattan reopened to the public, in time for a Chol HaMoed outing.

Sam Weinreich outlived the Nazis by decades and, at the age of 101, continues to share his story of survival with meticulous details. “Lodz had the most Jews in Poland after Warsaw. I was one of nine children, five brothers, four sisters. I was the only one who survived,” he said.

Last year, when many Jewish newspapers posted cancellations of Pesach resort programs, and others entirely scrapped their Chol HaMoed travel sections, the Queens Jewish Link published a staycation guide that highlighted local parks where one can commune with nature, taking a break from Zoom classes and GoToMeetings. Since then, most public attractions around New York have reopened with caution, which involves mandatory masks, temperature checks, and limited capacity. The New York Hall of Science in Flushing Meadows remains closed to the public, while Liberty Science Center requires reservations days in advance of a visit.

 A year after the coronavirus abruptly forced Jewish families to change their getaway plans in favor of staying home, kosher resorts and hotels have reopened with guidelines involving eating separately, sitting at a distance from other guests, and wearing masks at most indoor events. After a year of working and learning at home, the pent-up desire to travel meant that children had to be trained to remain in their seats and keep their masks on for the duration of the flight.

The street-facing side of Congregation Anshei Shalom of West Hempstead has the appearance of a house, but behind it is a soaring sanctuary filled with artwork and ornate architecture. But then there are the trailers across Hempstead Avenue that also belong to this shul, in use for its Sephardic minyan, teen minyan, and youth groups.