Community Corner

Books are going off the shelves as Boris Production ends its 35-year run on 108^th Street in Forest Hills, the sole Russian-language bookstore in Queens – a sign of changing economic and social conditions.

Crossing mountains and deserts requires resilience and teamwork, something that Israelis have as they manage the trauma of the ongoing war against Hamas. One form of healing is expressed through sports, in which more than 100 participants biked by the Dead Sea near Masada with the Geerz Israel Charity Ride. They covered 80 miles on their mountain bikes on March 23-25, raising funds for children and soldiers impacted by the war.

More than a dozen Jewish organizations on Long Island welcomed Rep. Ritchie Torres to West Hempstead for a Yom HaShoah talk hosted by the Conservative Congregation Shaaray Shalom. The Bronx lawmaker stands out as one of the most outspoken pro-Israel voices in the Democratic Party, offering honest commentary in a social mediascape dominated by opposition toward Israel, influenced by anti-Semitism. Security for this high-profile event was provided by the Nassau County Police Department and the volunteers of CSS, which is comprised of local Jewish community members.

History was made on the ice on Sunday night when the Jerusalem Capitals won in an overtime 7-6 tiebreaker against HC Tel Aviv at UBS Arena in Belmont Park, to the cheers of Israel supporters in the first-ever game of its kind for the Israel Elite Hockey League.

Some of my favorite vacations were the last-minute deals, in which we quickly packed, booked the destinations, and took flight. Having cooked most of our Pesach meals and cleaned more than half of our home, we used the days before the holiday to leave our children at home and feel young again as a couple, backpacking in Europe. Even when we had a tight itinerary fitting in the sightseeing within four days, I could not put aside my sense of journalism while vacationing.

The Kupferberg Center at Queens College was a scene for celebration on Sunday, March 2, as the Oorah organization held its Purim concert close to the homes of many families whose parents participate in the weekly Torah Mates learning on the phone, and children who attend Chill Zone events in the winter and Zone overnight camps in the summer. The event was headlined by renowned singer Avraham Fried with the New York Boys Choir as the opening act.