Community Corner

The National Council of Young Israel (NCYI) last week called on elected officials and leaders in the African American community to condemn the linkage of the Black Lives Matter movement to the anti-Semitic BDS movement, after protestors chanted anti-Israel and anti-Semitic phrases at a march that took place this week in Washington, DC.

The HALB Eighth Graders were blessed to have the rare experience of outdoor, in-person graduation! It was so meaningful for these young men and women to finish out their HALB years sitting next to each other (six feet away!) on the campus of their beloved school. Mazal Tov to our 92 graduates – we are so proud of you!

The popular saying, “There is no time like the present,” has never been more apropos than right now. At a time when work and personal schedules have shifted, there is an opportunity to extend ourselves in ways that matter. Enter Emet Outreach’s TorahConnect, the chavrusa-based learning initiative for the Queens community. The program debuted back in November and was designed as a forum where Emet students of varying Jewish backgrounds were paired with members of the community to connect, share Torah thoughts, and elevate their learning. The first months of the in-person learning initiative were met with eagerness and enthusiasm. Women’s weekly learning sessions were held in YCQ, and were soon followed by men’s beis midrash-style learning at Beth Gavriel Bukharian Jewish Center. The goal was to expand on these chavrusa relationships and encourage deeper involvement in each other’s lives. Everything was proceeding as planned, and then plans changed with COVID-19.

In this week’s parshah, Pinchas acted zealously for Hashem’s sake and was granted the covenant of shalom. This is in line with the Torah principle, “In the way a man wishes to go, he is led” (Makos 10b). If Hashem observes a person who truly desires to grow spiritually and observe mitzvos, He grants him the strength to fulfill these desires. Since Pinchas demonstrated that he wished to preserve peace, he was rewarded with a “bris shalom,” a covenant of peace.

The Rabbinical Alliance of America – Igud HaRabbonim, representing over 950 American Orthodox rabbis – calls on the Black Lives Movement to purge anti-Semitism from its platform.

Please recite Psalms 20, 30, 88, 121, and 130.

David ben Shima

Rabbi Yaakov Eliyahu Menashe ben Rachel