Community Corner

Our Sages teach us (Bava Basra 14b) that King David wrote the Psalms (T’hilim) based on his own experiences, along with the contributions of other great Jewish figures. While the Book of T’hilim was composed mainly by King David, the Gemara (Bava Basra 14b) enumerates ten authors who composed psalms other than King David. The Gemara speaks of these men as “Asarah Z’keinim,” ten Elders, great scholars endowed with profound wisdom and prophetic insight, which enabled them to compose such a sacred text. Psalm 139 was attributed to Adam HaRishon. Another psalm was composed by King Malki-Tzedek. Psalm 89 is attributed to Avraham Avinu. There are 11 hymns composed by Moshe Rabbeinu. There are several chants composed by the Leviim who officiated as singers in the Beis HaMikdash.

On Tuesday, September 13, the Rabbinical Alliance of America will hold festivities at the Sephardic Lebanese Congregation, 805 Avenue T, Brooklyn, to celebrate their 80^th anniversary. The program will be highlighted by Rav Yaakov Shulman and Rav Leibel Wulliger being m’sayeim at their 34^th Annual Chai Elul Siyum HaShas, a program chaired by Rav Eytan Feiner, the rav of Congregation Kneseth Israel, The White Shul. The event will be in memoriam of HaRav Shmaryahu Shulman zt”l, HaRav Meir Shapiro zt”l, and Rebbetzin Pearl Yita Shapiro a”h, with sponsorship by R’ Pinny Shapiro and family.

Six hundred forty-four dollars.

That’s how much money one yeshivah student managed to raise for charity in a single afternoon. And all he had to do was get a haircut.

Following its longstanding practice, K’hal Adas Yereim of Kew Gardens and Richmond Hill held a legal holiday Yarchei Kallah program in its beis hamedrash on Monday, September 5, Labor Day.

Coalition for Jewish Values (CJV), representing over 2,000 traditional, Orthodox rabbis in American public policy, last week filed an Amicus Curiae (friend of the Court) brief with the Supreme Court of the United States in YU Pride Alliance v. Yeshiva University, a case that would force Yeshiva University, the nation’s only university offering both higher secular learning and a rabbinic ordination program for Orthodox Jewish students, to accept clubs promoting both beliefs and conduct that contravene the dictates of the Jewish religion. CJV filed this brief to protect the religious freedom rights of Jewish students, as guaranteed under the US Constitution.

On Tuesday evening, September 6, members of Misaskim of Queens held an emergency T’hilim recitation at the Jewish Heritage Center on Main Street for their organization’s founder, Reb Yanky Meyer.