Shabsie Saphirstein

As the calendar turned to 2026, Queens Shmira concluded its multi-week “Meals for Heroes” campaign with heartfelt New Year’s Day deliveries to the 102, 107, and 112 Precincts, ensuring that NYPD officers on duty were greeted with hot meals and warm appreciation. These final stops marked the culmination of a deeply impactful initiative that spanned the entire 2025–2026 holiday season, reinforcing community bonds and honoring the unwavering commitment of Queens’ first responders.

As Chanukah approached, celebrations across Queens carried a gravity that extended far beyond annual tradition, unfolding amid a sharp rise in antisemitism and recent global attacks on Jewish communities. Menorah lightings and communal gatherings became statements of resilience and solidarity at a time when Jewish visibility itself had taken on heightened meaning.

On Sunday night, January 4, the main shul of Young Israel of West Hempstead filled with community members gathering for the third annual memorial shiur in memory of Toby Geschwind a”h, presented by Chazaq and the Clara Klein Adult Education Committee.

The Chanukah program held at New York County Surrogate’s Courthouse in Manhattan last Tuesday marked the arrival of a powerful symbol that has traveled from Israel to New York over the past year. At the center of the evening was the Chanukiah of Hope, created by Israeli artist Eli Gross. The menorah is constructed from fragments of missiles and projectiles fired at Israel, repurposed into a ritual object that reflects Jewish resilience and continuity in the face of war.

The Council Chambers at City Hall were transformed on Monday night, December 15, into a space of warmth and Jewish pride, as the New York City Council Jewish Caucus hosted its annual Chanukah celebration. The event marked the largest gathering of its kind since the tradition began during the first year of Speaker Adrienne Adams’ tenure.

For the first time in its history, Queens Hospital Center held a public Chanukah menorah lighting inside the hospital, drawing a packed crowd of staff, administrators, community leaders, clergy, and elected officials. The gathering was notable not for ceremony, but for context: a public institution making visible space for Jewish life at a moment when many feel increasingly unseen.