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This past Shabbos afternoon, Parshas Shoftim, took on special significance at Beis HaMidrash Congregation Chasam Sofer, the Kew Gardens Hills shtiebel that remains an everlasting legacy to HaRav Avraham Shalom Yeshayah HaLevi Wiesel zt”l. Congregants celebrated a milestone 11 years in the making as a siyum on Maseches Megillah was conducted during shalosh seudos.

A desperate search was mounted this past Wednesday afternoon for a seven-year-old boy who vanished during a day camp outing at Canarsie Park, Brooklyn. Volunteers descended from as far away as Lakewood, New Jersey, to participate in the hunt for young Yosef Shapiro after the boy went missing just after 2:30 p.m. The warm weather and bright sky gave rescue workers time to search, but the hours quickly waned; search teams had sadly come up emptyhanded.

On Sunday, August 8, the Rabbinical Alliance of America/Igud HaRabbonim (RAA) and Chazaq partnered to present the RAA’s 80^th annual pre-High Holiday Chomer LiDrush (homiletics) session. An annual event, the Chomer LiDrush session offers timely examples of sermon material from master speakers and thinkers to help rabbis prepare their own speeches and classes during the upcoming holidays. This year’s conference, held online, prepares rabbis for a particularly challenging holiday season full of opportunities to discuss personal, communal, and theological issues. To offer useful and compelling Torah content during this unique year, RAA partnered with Chazaq in bringing six distinguished rabbis to address the gathering:

Reb Michael Rothschild of Chofetz Chaim Heritage Foundation released the following as a vlog, part of his Live Life Better Power of Speech series.

According to the Baal Shem Tov, every physical desire in this world really contains an aspect of love for Hashem. When we experience a physical pleasure, it makes it easier to come to love the Source of that pleasure. Since Hashem is the Ultimate Source of Good, connection to Him is the ultimate pleasure we can experience. (M’or Einayim, Parshas VaEschanan)