The airwaves of 770 WABC crackled with energy as Yaakov Serle, co-publisher of the Queens Jewish Link, alongside myself, stepped into the studio of the Sid and Friends In The Morning. Hosted by the charismatic and outspoken Sid Rosenberg, the segment was a vibrant blend of celebration, reflection, and advocacy—a perfect prelude to the upcoming Queens Jewish Link anniversary event set to take place this week. The occasion was to publicize the honor to Sid Rosenberg himself with the prestigious King David Award, recognizing his unwavering support for the Jewish community and his fearless voice in the media landscape.
The heart of our appearance was to spotlight the Queens Jewish Link’s upcoming event, a night poised to bring together community leaders, supporters, and friends to celebrate Sid Rosenberg’s contributions. Yaakov recounts seeing Sid at the One Israel Fund dinner, and thinking about the strength and commitment that he shows every day on the radio, he said, “this is the guy who has to get the King David award. Yaakov has said that the inspiration for the name of the award came from a conversation that Sid was having on his show with NYC Mayoral Candidate and founder of the Guardian Angels Curtis Sliwa.
Rosenberg expressed his surprise at being the recipient of the award even though he is considered controversial. Yet it is his strong stance that has earned him the award. Rosenberg doesn’t only mirror what every other Jewish group says about our enemies; he also holds our friend’s feet to the fire when it comes to whitewashing Democrat complicity in broad swaths of Hamas support from both their voting base and elected representatives. “I’m surprised you guys keep inviting me and honoring me when in truth, I spend a lot of time criticizing our own people,” Sid said.
Sid’s strength on this issue actually gives me courage to mirror his position - something that is tough to do when attempting to work in concert with fellow Jews. “The Democratic Party has been overrun by a cancer within it, and it’s an anti-Semitic, Jew-hating cancer,” I said in response. Sid is right; the Jewish community cannot afford to support a political Party that ignores the growing threat within it.
The conversation took a somber turn as we addressed a pressing issue close to the hearts of many in the Jewish community: the plight of the Bibas family. The bodies of the Bibas children were being returned that day, and videos were already coming out of the celebration that was taking place in Gaza. The civilian celebration affirmed what was already known to anyone who has paid attention to this war - that the notion that there are innocent Gazan civilians who do not age with Hamas’s actions on October 7 is a myth.
Turning the conversation from being a Jew in Israel to living as a Jew in New York City in 2025, Sid highlighted the challenges that it entails, even for people who don’t display their Judaism as much as others. Sid, of course, never backs down from a fight, either rhetorical or physical, and actually expressed a desire for someone to confront him over his Star of David necklace that he proudly wears.
I see similar issues in New York, but view it through a whole city approach. Crime is clearly an issue, yet so are quality of life problems like the persistent smell of marijuana or homelessness. Bring Jewish is always going to have its challenges, but are those challenges compounded with it being difficult just living in a place? If so, then bring Jewish in that city becomes exponentially more difficult. When asked by Sid if it’s fair to say that the Mayor hasn’t done enough to protect Jewish people, I responded, “I think the Mayor needs to do what he can to protect all people, and a rising tide lifts all ships. If you’re protecting all New Yorkers, then if it’s the Jewish people who get hurt first [when there’s crime], we’ll be the ones who get protected first.”
The most surprising part of the interview for me is when I discovered that I was the only one in the studio who never ate McDonalds! Yaakov Serle opened up to share his story, from an upstart youth to the upstanding leader he is today. “A friend of mine went to Israel and he started putting on tefillin and he asked me if I wanted to put on tefillin. I said it’s not for me, but after a while I tried it.” He went on to share his story of how he came to Judaism, “and now I have six kids - three are rabbis.” Rosenberg was complimentary of the accomplishment, repeatedly expressing his admiration of Serle’s journey.
The admiration is deserved. Yaakov Serle, alongside co-publisher Naftali Szrolovits, has grown a platform that has been a vibrant part of a key Jewish community in New York for 13 years and 600 issues. It has been my honor to write for the Queens Jewish Link for the past 6 years, and an even greater honor to join Sid Rosenberg on his show. His courage and outspokenness have earned him the King David Award, one of many accolades still to come.
By Moshe Hill
