Community Corner

On Motza’ei Shabbos, February 8, community members gathered at the home of this writer to hear Rabbi Chaim Reisman, Director of Etnachta (Inspiring Jews to embrace Judaism) and a close talmid of Rav Chaim Kanievsky shlita, share an inspiring shiur on emunah.

On Sunday evening, January 26, Rabbi Paysach Krohn, well-known mohel, author, and speaker, shared an inspiring shiur at the Five Towns Premier Nursing and Rehabilitation Center on the subject of stopping hatred. The shiur was hosted by Chazaq. Rabbi Krohn offered practical suggestions along with powerful stories.

On Monday evening, February 3, Rabbi Pinchas Winston, the author of over 50 books on Torah philosophy, the weekly parshah sheet PERCEPTIONS, and his site thirtysix.org, shared a shiur on g’ulah with community women at the home of Rabbi Dovid and Nechama Mirsky. The shiur was dedicated by Mrs. Linda Davidson l’ilui nishmas her father, Efrayim ben Chananyah Yom Tov Lipa, Mr. Efry Steinmetz, who was a warm, exuberant individual who loved people. He dedicated his life to family, spreading Yiddishkeit, and helping others. He was a baal tz’dakah and baal chesed par excellence. He was a pillar of the Jewish community in Caracas, Venezuela, where he lived most of his life, and a devoted chasid of the Lubavitcher Rebbe.

On Motza’ei Shabbos, January 18, a large crowd gathered at Ohr Natan for an uplifting lecture on happiness. The shiur was hosted by Chazaq and Ohr Natan and can be viewed on TorahAnytime.com. Rabbi Goldwasser began by stating how this is his favorite topic. He shared that the same Hebrew letters in simchah are in machashavah, because happiness is dependent on thought. To be happy, you have to think of the brachos you have. He imparted, “Happiness is appreciating how we came together tonight in this beautiful shul to learn, to listen, and to interact.” Rabbi Goldwasser taught that when I person realizes the brachos he has, it’s altogether different.

On Sunday evening, January 19, Dr. Jack Cohen, well-known speaker and dating and shalom bayis coach, spoke to a large crowd at Derech Etz HaChaim in Queens Village. The shiur was sponsored by Chazaq and Bat Melech.

The wonderful Mitzvah Morning Program at the Young Israel of Jamaica Estates inspires everyone, as it brings families and community members together to work on a common goal. Children, ages pre-school through high school, parents, grandparents, and other community members joined together this past Sunday morning at the Young Israel of Jamaica Estates to create special thank you gifts for the 107^th Police Precinct. It was a beautiful lesson in hakaras ha’tov and a kiddush Hashem, as well. Two officers came by to accept the gifts on behalf of the police precinct. At a time when our community is so dependent on the police for security and the safety of our shuls and other Torah institutions, this was a very fitting idea.