Local

The NYPD’s promotion ceremony at One Police Plaza this past Tuesday, November 25 was filled with pride, honor, and emotion, but one moment stood out above the rest: watching Community Affairs Officer Nicholas A. Skomina rise to the rank of Detective. For so many of us who have been lucky enough to know Nick and work alongside him, this wasn’t just another promotion on a long list of names. It was a deeply personal milestone for a man who has poured his heart into serving New York City and its diverse communities.

The Hampton Synagogue’s 30th Annual Thanksgiving Weekend Cantorial Concert will take place Saturday night, November 29, at 8:00 p.m. Hampton Synagogue’s world-renowned Cantor, Netanel Hershtik, will host the concert, which will feature two rising stars of the cantorial world, Nissim Saal and Chaim Stern. The cantors will be accompanied by the Hampton Synagogue Choir; Maestro Izchak Haimov, Conductor; and Raymond Goldstein, Musical Director of the Jerusalem Great Synagogue, at the piano. The concert is an international gathering of the brightest rising stars in the world of Jewish liturgical music.

Honoring Rabbi Tzadok & Rebbetzin Dvora Froimowitz, And A Legacy That Transformed Forest Hills

Congregation Ahavath Sholom gathered on Sunday evening, November 2, for a milestone celebration that blended history, gratitude, and deep communal pride. The elegant event at The Pinnacle in Forest Hills marked the shul’s 75th anniversary and paid tribute to Rabbi Tzadok and Rebbetzin Dvora Froimowitz on their 25 years of devoted service. Current members, former congregants, multigenerational families, andGreat Neck Scholars Kollel representatives, filled the room, honoring a past built on sacrifice and a present sustained through steadfast Torah leadership.

The Yeshiva of Central Queens proudly announces its honorees for the upcoming Annual Scholarship Dinner, to be held on Motza’ei Shabbos, December 13, at RAM Caterers in Old Westbury. This year’s distinguished awardees represent the very best of the YCQ community: devotion, leadership, and a steadfast commitment to the school.

Communal Cholim List

In this week’s parsha, Yaakov leaves his home and steps into the challenges of Charan. The Torah tells us “Vayifga bamakom” — and Chazal explain that Yaakov’s very first response was tefillah. Before confronting Lavan, before worrying about livelihood, before navigating uncertainty, Yaakov anchors himself in heartfelt prayer.

I was a Freshman at Rambam Mesivta on May 2, 1993 when they held a הַסְפֵּד for Rav Yosef Dov Soloveichik ז״ל, who had passed away a few weeks before. One of the two speakers was Rabbi Jay Marcus, Rabbi of the Young Israel of Staten Island. I knew that Rav Reuven Feinstein had a yeshiva in Staten Island but that was all that I knew about Judaism on the other side of the Verrazzano Bridge. He talked about how he took his first two sons to see Rav Soloveichik before their Bar Mitzvahs but I had no idea that this was a hint of what was ahead for me. I also didn’t know that Rav Ari and Mindy were there nor did I know that it was a week before the wedding Rav Elie and Devora nor did I know about the Yeshiva that they were planning to start.