Community Corner

At the corner of Union Turnpike and 188^th Street, Bagels & Co. is a staple for families in Fresh Meadows, Jamaica Estates, Hillcrest, Holliswood, and Hollis Hills. The establishment is recognizable for its chalav Yisrael menu, steady stream of customers, and the Israeli and American flags proudly displayed above its storefront. In recent years, however, those flags have appeared to place the storefront in the crosshairs of those seeking to intimidate visibly Jewish establishments.

For years, families throughout Central Queens faced a difficult reality: When a child, teenager, parent, or adult needed mental health support tailored to the sensitivities of Orthodox Jewish life, help required an often-grueling commute to Brooklyn or Far Rockaway. In too many cases, families simply went without the care they needed. Several attendees at a recent VIP pre-opening reception described a longstanding feeling that Queens had been overlooked while major mental health and family service infrastructure expanded elsewhere. During the breakfast reception organized by Ohel Chief Marketing Officer Malka Grossman, participants openly shared their relief, prompting an attendee to confidently remark to this writer, “Finally, Queens is on the map — people are going to utilize this.”

At The Seawane Club in Hewlett, the unfurling of the Flag of Yerushalayim set the tone for the night. It was a simple moment, but it captured much of what the evening stood for: Yerushalayim is not merely a memory. It is built, defended, restored, and lived.

On Monday afternoon, May 18, shortly before 3:30 p.m., a hate crime was reported along 99th Street in Rego Park, where multiple swastikas were found marked on private property and nearby public spaces.

An extraordinary evening of Torah, inspiration, and communal unity filled Beis Yosef D’Ulem on Sunday night, May 17, as members of the Kew Gardens Hills community gathered for the KGH Rosh Chodesh Yarchei Kallah featuring Rabbi Dovid Schustal, Rosh HaYeshivah of Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood.

More than 50 donors rolled up their sleeves on Monday afternoon as students, faculty, and community members gathered at Lander College for Men for a blood drive held in conjunction with Maimonides Medical Center and the New York Blood Center.