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This past Shabbos afternoon, Parshas Shoftim, took on special significance at Beis HaMidrash Congregation Chasam Sofer, the Kew Gardens Hills shtiebel that remains an everlasting legacy to HaRav Avraham Shalom Yeshayah HaLevi Wiesel zt”l. Congregants celebrated a milestone 11 years in the making as a siyum on Maseches Megillah was conducted during shalosh seudos.

For well over a quarter-century, Rebbetzin Shifra Witty, who passed away last Tuesday at the age of 86, was lovingly known to many in Kew Gardens Hills as “Morah Shifra,” raised her nursery children of the Young Israel of Kew Gardens Hills Youth Center each as her own. Today, these children, whom I am privileged to be counted amongst, remain as one of her many deep, lasting legacies. She lived by her own motto: “If you enjoy people, it doesn’t matter how old they are – you can still make a difference in their lives.”

On Sunday, August 8, the Rabbinical Alliance of America/Igud HaRabbonim (RAA) and Chazaq partnered to present the RAA’s 80^th annual pre-High Holiday Chomer LiDrush (homiletics) session. An annual event, the Chomer LiDrush session offers timely examples of sermon material from master speakers and thinkers to help rabbis prepare their own speeches and classes during the upcoming holidays. This year’s conference, held online, prepares rabbis for a particularly challenging holiday season full of opportunities to discuss personal, communal, and theological issues. To offer useful and compelling Torah content during this unique year, RAA partnered with Chazaq in bringing six distinguished rabbis to address the gathering:

Regarding the case of Alta Fixsler, who is to be disconnected from a ventilator following a decision of the Supreme Court for the United Kingdom, Rabbi Moshe B. Parnes, Southern Regional Vice President of the Coalition for Jewish Values, made the following statement:

According to the Baal Shem Tov, every physical desire in this world really contains an aspect of love for Hashem. When we experience a physical pleasure, it makes it easier to come to love the Source of that pleasure. Since Hashem is the Ultimate Source of Good, connection to Him is the ultimate pleasure we can experience. (M’or Einayim, Parshas VaEschanan)

There was a heightened sense of concern in the Jewish community of Queens this past Tuesday evening, August 3, when a Queens Borough Safety Patrol–Shmira flier was quickly making its rounds on local chats and social media groups for a missing elderly woman, Bella Abramova.