Local

Tuesday, July 15, seemed like any other Tuesday at the eight a.m. Shacharis minyan at the Young Israel of Hillcrest. But this day held a special significance. On this day, Mr. Aron Beidner was to celebrate his 102^nd birthday – only he had no idea that a celebration was about to take place after davening. I only found out about this special birthday because our chief gabbai, Yossi Lebovitch, told me so the day before.

Mrs. Dorothy Kellner celebrated a landmark birthday at the Boulevard ALP, turning 100 this past Friday, July 19. Mrs. Kellner stood behind one of three huge birthday cakes from Aron’s Kissena Farms that said “100” on them.

NewYork-Presbyterian Queens has achieved The Joint Commission’s Advanced Disease Specific Certification for Primary Stroke Centers. The program was recently recertified for two years.

Dr. Sheldon Schwartz, a long-retired healthcare innovator, turned 100 on July 21. 

 At the age of 95, Dr. Schwartz took up playing bridge at his local JASA senior center. It was there he met and soon married his bridge partner Marlene Wadler, 86, his second wife.

While the Book of T’hilim was composed mainly by King David, the Gemara (Maseches Bava Basra 14b) enumerates ten authors who composed individual psalms other than King David. The Gemara speaks of these men as “Asarah Z’keinim,” ten great scholars endowed with profound wisdom and prophetic insight, which enabled them to compose such sacred texts. Psalm 139 was attributed to Adam HaRishon. Another psalm was composed by King Malki-Tzedek. Psalm 89 is attributed to Avraham Avinu. There are 11 hymns composed by Moshe Rabbeinu. There are several chants composed by the L’vi’im who officiated as singers in the Beis HaMikdash.

In a community where families and children are the main elements of life, the disappointment of infertility comes with the difficulties of the high cost of treatment, finding the right doctors, and emotional support in the process. “My niece and nephew are the results of Bonei Olam. It is a tremendous organization,” said Hudi Newman, who hosted its founder, Rabbi Shlomo Bochner, at his Kew Gardens Hills home last week for a backyard fundraiser. “It has a special place in my family’s heart.”