Local

“Flying is safer than driving. Statistically there are more car accidents.” That’s what people tell you when you confide that you’re afraid of flying. It’s true, but for some reason, entering a car just doesn’t feel as scary to me. Maybe that’s because you stay on the ground the whole time.

On Tuesday evening, February 11, the community gathered at Congregation Etz Chaim to hear another informative lecture hosted by Navigating the Medical System Lecture Series. Dr. Edward Moss, Assistant Professor of Clinical Urology at Weil Cornell Medicine and attending urologist at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, shared a comprehensive lecture on prostate health. He began by explaining that urology comprises the following structures: two kidneys, a tube that leaves the kidney and goes to the bladder; in a male it goes to the male organs and in a female to the urethra. He explained that the prostate is at the base of the bladder.

On Sunday evening, February 9, Rabbi Paysach Krohn, well-known mohel, author, and speaker, spoke in Torah Ohr Simcha Hall in Great Neck on how to get our t’filos answered. This life-changing shiur was hosted by Chazaq and can be viewed on www.TorahAnytime.com.

On Motza’ei Shabbos, February 8, community members gathered at the home of this writer to hear Rabbi Chaim Reisman, Director of Etnachta (Inspiring Jews to embrace Judaism) and a close talmid of Rav Chaim Kanievsky shlita, share an inspiring shiur on emunah.

On Wednesday evening, February 12, community members gathered at Congregation Ahavas Yisroel to hear an uplifting shiur by Rabbi Yehoshua Landau of Yeshivat Reishit Yerushalayim in Beit Shemesh. He shared a number of powerful ideas on how to deal with anti-Semitism. First, he taught that, according to the Rambam, when tzaros occur, we need to cry out and take it personally, as if we can have an effect. “If people take it to heart, this can take away the tzaros. If there is no crying out and people say it’s just the way of the world that Eisav hates Yaakov and we don’t take it personally, that is cold-hearted and that won’t bring an end to the tzaros.” The Rambam is teaching us that we all need to introspect on how we can do t’shuvah and improve. “The process of this t’shuvah is more significant than any bottom line we can come up with.”

On Monday evening, February 3, Rabbi Pinchas Winston, the author of over 50 books on Torah philosophy, the weekly parshah sheet PERCEPTIONS, and his site thirtysix.org, shared a shiur on g’ulah with community women at the home of Rabbi Dovid and Nechama Mirsky. The shiur was dedicated by Mrs. Linda Davidson l’ilui nishmas her father, Efrayim ben Chananyah Yom Tov Lipa, Mr. Efry Steinmetz, who was a warm, exuberant individual who loved people. He dedicated his life to family, spreading Yiddishkeit, and helping others. He was a baal tz’dakah and baal chesed par excellence. He was a pillar of the Jewish community in Caracas, Venezuela, where he lived most of his life, and a devoted chasid of the Lubavitcher Rebbe.