This past Motza’ei Shabbos, families gathered in the gymnasium of The Queens Cheder in Jamaica Estates, where an evening of inspiration was about to unfold. Behind the head table hung a banner featuring the Cheder’s emblem and imagery of the campus, grounding the event in the legacy of what had been built—and what continues to grow.

The announcement of the new Queens Holocaust Memorial—held on Tuesday, November 25 after being rescheduled from Monday to accommodate key officials—marked an emotional and historic day for the borough. What began nearly three years ago as a quiet meeting between Holocaust survivor Vladimir Epshteyn and QJCC Board Member Judith Rosen has now become a fully funded memorial initiative supported by city leadership, state legislators, and Jewish communities across Queens.