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At the Young Israel of West Hempstead, Michal Lobanov Shares Her Personal Story of Tragedy, Strength, and Hope

Michal Lobanov lost her husband to Hamas terrorists and gained a global family that continues to support her and other widows of hostages and fallen soldiers. Last Sunday, she shared her experiences at the Young Israel of West Hempstead.

Between my house in West Hempstead and the local Chabad House, Halls Pond Park is often used for photoshoots and the occasional movie shoot. On Sunday night, it was surrounded by cars, many of them with flags, as police directed traffic. There had been a vigil for slain conservative influencer Charlie Kirk at the Long Island Rail Road’s Seaford station the previous night that attracted 5,000 supporters, but seeing a gathering close to home brought the realization that we are in a historical moment resonating in all corners of this country.

In his support for Israel, Dr. Gene Berkovich backs a variety of causes, sharing them with his extended family and community. Among them is Yatar, a volunteer-driven fleet of ATVs that arose from tragedy to prevent additional loss of life.

A student and shamash for seven years of Rav Aharon Kotler zt”l and a close talmid of Rav Henoch Leibowitz zt”l, Rabbi Elyakim Getzel Rosenblatt had the promise of just following a brilliant learning career, but he chose a different direction.

Queens-Born Chedvata Soldier Brings the Message to The Five Towns

The sense of unity and outrage following the Hamas attack on Israel resulted in unprecedented numbers of young chareidim signing up for military service, even as leading rabbis and politicians remain opposed to drafting yeshivah students amid the ongoing war in Gaza. Responding to their needs, Rabbi Yonatan Reiss seeks to expand Chedvata, a chareidi Hesder program that consists of Torah study in the mornings, career training in the afternoons with Ashkelon College, followed by army service in a chareidi IDF unit.

On Tuesday evening, April 9, members of the community experienced a comprehensive important lecture from the Navigating the Medical System Lecture Series at Congregation Etz Chaim on the topic of Understanding Heart Arrhythmias, Valve Replacement, and Updates in Treatment. David Slotwiner, MD, FACC, FHRS, Chief of Division of Cardiology and Cardiac Electrophysiology at NewYork-Presbyterian Queens Hospital, and Assistant Professor of Medicine at Weill Cornell, shared lots of valuable information about the latest in treating arrhythmias. He pointed out, “There are a lot of new treatments in arrhythmia and valve replacement.”