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On Sunday evening March 29^th the world was sad to learn of the passing of Rabbi Yosef Neumann z”l, 72, the victim most gruesomely wounded in a hate-filled machete attack during a Chanukah celebration at the home of Rabbi Chaim Rottenberg in Monsey, N.Y. On December 28, 2019.

These days, many of us are living in some kind of quarantine – separated from each other and the daily activities that defined our day. We’re locked in our homes, feeling afraid and overwhelmed, worried about getting sick, or the health of our loved ones, or losing work, or how in Heaven’s Name we are going to keep our home-bound kids (and husbands) occupied and make Pesach at the same time. It’s extremely important at times like these to know how to focus inward, to regain a sense of balance, and to strengthen ourselves for the days ahead.

As students and parents enter Week Two of their new learning routines, the Yeshiva of Central Queens faculty and Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) continue to enhance the virtual learning environment and set of activities to keep students engaged in learning while keeping social avenues open. This week, students were engaged in the #YCQatHome photo scavenger hunt challenge, a daily activity where students find certain items and then photograph the items and submit for the end-of-the-week video. Teachers continued to introduce class challenges encouraging students to do chores around the house, which certainly helped frantic parents begin their Pesach preparations; show off their personal collections; share videos of recipes and cooking; and show school spirit by spelling out YCQ with various items. Specialty classes were introduced this week, including gym class for all grades, art, music, and library for lower elementary, and computer class for all elementary school students.

Please recite Psalms 20, 30, 88, 121, and 130.

Gavriel ben Geulah

Eliezer Nasan ben Tzirel

One cannot imagine the indignation of our rabbinical, medical, and public leaders at the noncompliance of certain communities concerning the order to daven at home. This past Motza’ei Shabbos, hundreds of Bnei Brak residents poured out into the streets to follow the funeral procession of a rabbi affiliated with a hard-line anti-Zionist faction. Rather than to provoke a riot and possibly infect themselves, police officers were reluctant to enforce social distancing rules.

Rabbi Elyakim Getzel Rosenblatt zt”l was a unique individual who left a tremendous impact on so many of his talmidim and on our community. His first yahrzeit was this past Sunday night. The event to commemorate his yahrzeit has been postponed due to the pandemic. Baruch Hashem, we had this incredible gadlus right here in Queens for so many years. There are not adequate words to express his accomplishments and his sterling midos. Woven into this biography are stories about Rabbi Rosenblatt that demonstrate who he was.