News

Expectations of never having to experience a blizzard is one reason for moving to Texas, and last week’s deep freeze exposed a woefully unprepared infrastructure that resulted in power outages and burst pipes. Former members of the Queens Jewish community living in Texas spoke about the Arctic blast as an unexpected disaster in a state that is better known for facing tornadoes and hurricanes.

With so much happening at this time, it may be easy to overlook that this week’s edition of the Queens Jewish Link is the 400^th since the first copy was published in 2012. The month of Adar also marks the 20^th anniversary since my parents purchased their house in Forest Hills. Looking back at these two chronological markers, we can see how much our community has matured in developing its voice, and my own personal growth.

A decade ago, the scene at a Masbia food pantry appeared relaxed in comparison to today. The original Queens location in Rego Park had the look of a restaurant for individuals in need of a meal. They were served in a dignified setting, staffed by volunteers during the afternoon hours. The economic downturn that resulted from the coronavirus pandemic turned a trickle into a flood of demand for kosher meal packages.

Kew Gardens Hills is the home of our publishers, editor, and most of our columnists, but the playgrounds of 11367 are almost entirely flat, better for building an igloo than sledding. In this neighborhood, midblock driveways offer the steepest terrain for sledding. As this calendar year has offered more snow than expected, here are a few of the best slopes in Queens for a snow day:

The appearance of a small swastika painted on a sign at the Rego Park Jewish Center was quickly addressed last week by Queens Shmira volunteers who had it scrubbed, public officials who condemned the unknown vandal, and the Police Hate Crimes Unit recognizing it as an unambiguous example of anti-Semitism.

An overlooked Jewish community with a long and unique history is the subject of a virtual photo exhibition sponsored by Queens College. This past Thursday, the school hosted a Zoom conversation involving Greek-American activists and members of the Romaniote Jewish community in a discussion on “Romaniote Memories, a Jewish Journey from Ioannina, Greece, to Manhattan: Photographs by Vincent Giordano.”