Susie Garber

A beautiful state-of-the-art pre-school has been opened in Maspeth this week and was named for Rebbetzin Pesha Leibowitz a”h of Yeshiva Chofetz Chaim. The pre-school is in the Maspeth Jewish Center building, which was originally built in the 1920s. The original congregation dated back to 1910.

Addresses Anti-Semitism, Israel, Mail Issues

On Wednesday evening, August 16, Congresswoman Grace Meng spoke in a virtual program for the Rabbi Fabian Schonfeld Educational Center. Our community is fortunate to have this educational center that hosts informative programs like this.

On Tuesday evening, September 5, Rebbetzin Devorah Kigel shared a virtual shiur on behalf of Emet Outreach on the subject of preparing for Rosh HaShanah. She taught that we have to take advantage of this time of year. It’s a unique opportunity. She shared a teaching of her rebbetzin, Rebbetzin Esther Baila Schwartz, that Elul is a month that is holy in and of itself, and not just because it is leading to Rosh HaShanah. The spiritual potential in this month is higher than any other time of year. She shared a mashal of how you feel reenergized and like a new person after a vacation. In the same way that vacation recharges you, so, too, Elul does this for your neshamah. Rebbetzin Kigel added that it’s like plugging your soul into an outlet to recharge. During Elul, we can feel more connected to Hashem.

On Sunday, August 20, Rabbi Dovid Ashear, well-known author of the Living Emunah series and sought-after speaker, shared a shiur about Elul, hosted by Chazaq at Congregation Anshei Shalom in Jamaica Estates.

On Monday morning, August 28, Rebbetzin Shira Smiles shared the last of a series of shiurim on P’sukei D’Zimrah. She focused on the last perek and shared many valuable lessons and insights.

On Tuesday evening, August 15, Chazaq hosted Rabbi Fischel Schachter, world-renowned maggid and author, who gave a shiur at Ohel Simcha. The shiur was in memory of Netaniel ben Istam. Rabbi Schachter shared many inspiring stories. He told a story about a maggid shiur who planned to give a shiur one night and, even though there was a stifling heat wave, he trudged to shul. There was no one there to listen, but he began giving his shiur anyway. A boy was passing by outside. This boy was out precisely because no one else was out, because he planned to steal. He heard the rav speaking and he came closer and thought maybe the rav was crazy, as he was speaking to the walls and chairs. He stood outside, listening, unbeknownst to the rav. The main lesson of the rav’s shiur was to never give up. Some time later, a bachur met the rav. It turned out that the bachur was that boy who overheard the shiur that day. The bachur told him that because of that shiur, he became shomer Shabbos. What impacted him was the rav’s courage.