The Community Security Initiative secures synagogues and Jewish institutions. The Anti-Defamation League has been fighting anti-Semitism since 1913.

“We come back from a weekend, and there’ll be like 70 Incident Reports waiting for us. It’s insane,” said Scott Richman, Regional Director for the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) that covers New York and New Jersey. “It’s not that big of a team dealing with all of this. It’s not slowing down.”

In Parshas Balak, we encounter the story of Balak, the king of Moav, who sought to curse the Jewish people. Despite his intentions, blessings flowed from the mouth of Bilaam instead of curses. This narrative teaches us a profound lesson about the unexpected ways that blessings can manifest in our lives, even amidst adversity.

Hadar Bet Yaakov, Queens’ Sephardi Bet Yaakov high school, graduated its first 12th grade this past June. “We began with eleven special girls who took a chance on a new school,” beamed Rabbi Robenov, Dean of Hadar Bet Yaakov in his welcoming remarks, “and we’re proudly graduating those same eleven girls four years later.” Girls marched proudly down the aisle at Floral Terrace flanked by teachers current and former as parents and relatives snapped videos and pictures.