Sergey Kadinsky

A white picket fence that exemplifies suburban streetscapes was found vandalized with spray paint on Monday morning with “Zionism is Nazism,” “Stop the Genocide” and “Free Palestine.” Facing the busy Merrick Avenue, its writer intended to share the anti-Semitic messages with a large audience.

The call from the Rabbinical Council of Bergen County intended to send a “strong message” ahead of a planned anti-Israel picket of ZAKA volunteer commander Simcha Greiniman speaking at Bnai Yeshurun in Teaneck this past Monday.

This year’s Pesach recognizes that more than 130 captive Jews remain unaccounted, in our prayers, along with thousands of men and women in uniform, defending and volunteering in the Jewish homeland. Many of us will have the Seder at home or close to home, and this Chol HaMoed Guide offers perennial favorites with updated exhibit information, along with lesser-known places in the city and nearby.

In the “world’s borough,” every language can be heard, and for Jewish languages, the epicenter of this diversity is Rego Park. I experienced it in my youth, in which the barber spoke Bukhori, the baker spoke Hungarian, the rabbi spoke German, elders spoke Yiddish sprinkled with Romanian and Ukrainian words, classmates spoke Russian, and many other such anecdotes within a short walking distance.

The sense of frustration with leaders pressuring Israel was expressed outside the UN this past Sunday, when more than 7,000 people attended a rally of solidarity for the remaining hostages held in Gaza.

The mission of Sam Fried’s life began in childhood, instilled by the Zionist values of his family, community, and schools. From an early age, he dreamed of wearing the IDF uniform in service of Israel. Like many reservists abroad, the Hamas attack on Simchas Torah caught him by surprise and he rushed to catch the flight to Israel to reenlist. Last Sunday, he returned to his parents in Jamaica Estates and met with Rabbi Josh Goller, who invited him to speak at the Young Israel of West Hempstead on the impact of the support of prayers on the soldiers.