News

As Rosh HaShanah approached, many of us were busy planning our davening, our meals, and getting our thoughts together.

Responding to the unprecedented challenges of this year’s High Holidays – people alone, singles, the elderly, vulnerable populations, families with small children stuck at home – the Orthodox Union, the nation’s oldest and largest umbrella organization for the North American Orthodox Jewish community, has created a unique online Torah learning platform, “Chag at Home,” which will offer high-level learning resources from renowned Torah educators, content for families, guides for study, holiday table discussion, and activity sheets for children and teens.

The 27^th of Av marked the first yahrzeit of Eugen Gluck z”l, a pillar of the Jewish community. Mr. Gluck (second from right), himself the quintessential Jewish activist, particularly for Bet-El institutions, honored Dr. Paul Brody (next to him) and Dr. Joseph Frager (second from left), as they received the Israel Leadership Award at the inaugural dinner of Chazaq, in August 2013, at Leonard’s of Great Neck. They are flanking Guest Speaker Michael Reagan, stepson of President Ronald Reagan. Chazaq boasts “Building A Stronger Future,” under the leadership of Rabbis Ilan and Yaniv Meirov (at far left and right).

A rare link to the previous generation has recently been lost as we were saddened to hear of the p’tirah of our beloved mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, Mrs. Bacia Orzel (nee Hirschberg).

Internet outage fixed after Congresswoman intervened with Postal Service and AT&T

US Rep. Grace Meng (D-Queens) announced last Friday that she helped to restore Internet service to the Kew Gardens Hills Post Office, which will once again allow all customers to use services at the facility.

The time between Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur is known as the Ten Days of Repentance. T’shuvah (repentance) enables us to become close to Hashem again. The Rambam (Hilchos T’shuvah 7:6-7) expresses that the main point of t’shuvah is rebuilding our relationship with Hashem: “T’shuvah is great because it brings a man closer to the Sh’chinah… Yesterday he was loathsome, distanced from Hashem and an abomination, but today he is beloved, a delight, close and a friend… Before, when he davened, Hashem did not listen; and when he did mitzvos, they were torn up before Him… Today, he clings to the Sh’chinah… he calls out to Hashem and is answered… and he does mitzvos that are received with joy.”