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Superficially, the neighborhoods of Howard Beach and Astoria could not be more different. Located on the opposite ends of Queens, one is densely populated with views of Manhattan across the East River, while the other has a suburban appearance with breeze from Jamaica Bay and noise from airplanes at the nearby airport. What they have in common is that on November 2, the New York City Council seats for these two neighborhoods are up for grabs with a very real possibility of a leftist victory in each one.

At the end of each summer, the campgrounds in the upstate mountains fall silent as children prepare for school. But for one such site, there was a last hurrah when young adults spent a weekend in nature to build connections and strengthen ties. A couple of weeks ago, Manashe Khaimov organized a Shabbaton for Mizrachi and Sefardi students and young professionals to network and develop leadership skills.

Rabbi Manny Behar, a mentor to many elected officials, candidates, and community leaders, is returning to his roots and reuniting with his family at the end of this month. “We’ve talked about it for many years. Our home will be close to my father and Evelyn’s brother,” he said. “Everybody has his or her own circumstances for returning.”

With nearly all of New York’s attractions having reopened following the worst of the pandemic, Chol HaMoed Sukkos is an ideal time to see what’s new at some of your favorite parks, museums, and neighborhoods. Closer to home, there are plenty of places to explore. In no particular order, I give you a brief guide to our hometown borough and beyond.

Throughout history, a great amount of effort has been devoted towards identifying the Lost Tribes of Ancient Israel, descendants of the Northern Kingdom [the Kingdom of Israel] whose inhabitants were deported by Assyrian forces in 722 BCE to lands unknown. One recent example of this search identified the Pashtun people of Afghanistan as likely descendants of these tribes based on their customs.

More than a half century after Sen. Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated in the midst of an ascendant presidential run, his killer was granted parole last week on the determination that he is no longer a threat to society and recognizes the severity of his crime. Sirhan Sirhan, 77, was 24 years old when he fatally shot Kennedy in the kitchen of the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles during a campaign event.