A Child’s Perspective After Sukkos
Dear Editor:
After each Yom Tov, I hand out a reflection sheet to my sixth-grade class at Yeshiva K’tana of Waterbury. It’s a simple exercise — a way for the boys to stop, think, and capture something real from their Yom Tov before it slips away.
The questions are light: “What inspired you?” “What was your favorite moment?” After Sukkos this year, I gave out the usual list and collected the papers a few minutes later.
The answers were exactly what you’d expect from eleven-year-old boys:
“Playing with my cousins.”
“Eating in the sukkah.”
“Going to Six Flags.”
And then I saw it. Under “What was your favorite memory from Sukkos?” one boy, Yehuda, had written: “Seeing the hostages come home.”
I stopped reading. I must have looked at that line five times.
I called Yehuda over during recess. “Yehuda,” I said gently, “you really mean that?”
He looked at me and said with quiet conviction, “Yes.”
I hesitated, then asked, “Is this something you talk about a lot at home?”
He paused, then turned to me and said words that sent a chill straight through me: “My mother hasn’t worn one of her rings in two years.”
Later that day, I called his mother. She confirmed every word.
She told me that ever since the hostages were taken, one of her rings has remained in the drawer — a small, silent reminder that part of our nation is missing. A reminder to feel the pain of another.
On their refrigerator, there’s a handwritten sign that reads: “What did you do today to bring them home?” And beneath it, a careful count of the days since the hostages were taken.
There’s also a picture of one particular hostage, someone their family feels connected to, someone they’ve been davening for by name.
When the videos began to circulate of the hostages being freed, Yehuda’s mother gathered her children and said softly, “Watch. These are your tefillos.”
Not words, not speeches — it’s a home that breathes tefillah. It’s a mother who turns pain into prayer. It’s a child whose favorite Yom Tov memory is seeing another Yid return home.
Because in the end, the most powerful lessons aren’t taught. They’re caught.
Rabbi Moshe Dov Heber
(Rabbi Heber can be reached via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
Murdered, Not Merely Deceased
Dear Editor:
A simple but important request for every media outlet to immediately substitute one word in their press coverage when referring to the dead bodies being returned to Israel: They are not merely “deceased hostages” — they are “murdered hostages” — and the world needs to be reminded of that whenever they are referred to.
They were murdered, either by being killed by ammunition, or by starvation, or by having their medication withheld. They are not merely deceased.
Let us pray together for the immediate return of our murdered brethren, HY”D, for proper burial.
Paul E. Brody, M.D.
ZOA President of Long Island & Queens
This Is the Moment
Dear Editor:
There are moments in the life of a community when emotion must take a back seat to responsibility — when we must think not only about how we feel, but about what will happen to our families, our yeshivas, and our neighborhoods if we make the wrong choice. This election is one of those moments.
Zohran Mamdani is not simply another candidate. He is a proud socialist and a vocal critic of the Jewish community and of Israel. He has no real governing experience, and his agenda would take our city down a dangerous path — one that punishes success, weakens public safety, and erodes the freedoms that allow our community to thrive.
Many in our community are drawn to Curtis Sliwa. He’s energetic, outspoken, and says what many of us feel. But we need to face reality: Curtis Sliwa cannot win. Every vote for him only helps Mamdani get closer to City Hall.
Andrew Cuomo is the only candidate with the experience and strength to lead New York forward — and to protect our community from the kind of radical, divisive politics that threaten it. Yes, many still carry frustration over how he handled COVID and the way our community was treated during that time. But we must separate emotion from strategy.
A Mayor Mamdani would be far worse — for our safety, our schools, our shuls, and our future. This is not the year for protest votes or for sitting out. This is the year to vote smart, to vote together, and to make sure our voice is heard loud and clear.
Our strength has always come from unity. Let’s stand together once again, with clarity and conviction, and protect the city we call home.
Sorolle Idels
Queens Jewish Alliance
The Need To Vote For Andrew Cuomo
Dear Editor:
I am writing about the mayor’s race coming up. Previously, I thought Curtis Sliwa had a chance. I even made a few $25 donations, hoping he would gain a following beyond his Republican base. But it does not appear he is doing that, so recently I have concluded that voting for Sliwa instead of Cuomo will only help Mamdani win.
Voting for Sliwa, who is last in the polls and does not have a chance of winning, would be a wasted vote. Better to vote for Cuomo, who has a chance of winning with the joining of moderate Democrats, independents, and Republicans. Influencing how I feel was conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, who said voting for Sliwa and not Cuomo would be a huge mistake.
I also saw a program online of a packed synagogue in Manhattan with Elie Wiesel’s son interviewing the governor, and the point came out how only he has a chance of beating Mamdani and how we have to vote for Governor Cuomo.
So I urge my fellow Queens Jewish Link readers who are planning to vote for Sliwa to acknowledge this mistake, as I did, and instead vote for Andrew Cuomo for mayor.
David Labovitz
Parshas Noach And The Radical Left
Dear Editor:
This week is parshas Noach. The generation of dor hamabul was corrupt in every way. Unfortunately, the radical Democratic Party is even worse. When Charlie Kirk was murdered, these radical leftists took to the internet and celebrated. They are the party that supports murder.
The facts are clear. These radicals are attempting to destroy our youth by influencing them to do gender change. This LGBT agenda is a direct affront to Torah values. The radical Democratic Party also supports Hamas and the global intifada. Democrats such as AOC, Pocahontas, and Bernie Sanders are singing the praises of Mamdani. Mamdani associates with and praises conspirators who were involved in the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center.
Now we have the issue of fair elections. The Democrats say they want fair elections, but they insist on mail-in voting and no voter ID. That is tantamount to an admission of foul play. Finally, we get to the phony January 6 “insurrection.” The Dems claim that it was the most violent event in U.S. history and that it proves Republicans support violence. Nothing could be further from the truth.
This entire episode was a perfect example of entrapment. The evidence reveals that over 284 FBI agents were present with MAGA hats, edging on the protesters to enter the Capitol. The Capitol doors were opened to allow this to happen. The corrupt Dems used this to attempt to prosecute their political opponents.
It saddens me to think that there are intelligent people such as Warren Hecht who support this anti-Torah agenda. I pray they will come around, but I am not holding my breath.
Eric Rubin
Join Us For The Sentencing Of Two Antisemitic Attackers
Dear Editor:
Kol hakavod to Queens Jewish Link readers who joined us in court a few days before Yom Kippur for the guilty plea by Salem Seleiman, one of the vicious attackers of kipah-wearing Joey Borgen, and the judge’s pronouncement that she’ll sentence him to two years in state prison.
Readers are encouraged to join our Jewish community judicial-watch group in federal court, 500 Pearl Street, Manhattan, near City Hall, for two very important sentencings: Tuesday, October 28, 9:30 a.m. sharp, room 17B, for Tarek Bazrouk, a triple antisemitic attacker who’s become a pro-Palestinian icon; and Thursday, October 30, 11:30 a.m. sharp, room 12B, for Donovan Hall, who sent hundreds of chilling online threats to the owner of the kosher Blue Moon Hotel on the Lower East Side.
Give yourself extra time to pass through courthouse security.
Glenn Richter
Fury Over The Hostage Release
Dear Editor:
Sorry, this hostage release leaves me furious. It is joy suffused with satanic cruelty.
Two thousand devils slither out of Pandora’s box in exchange for twenty normal human beings.
The atmosphere of joy repulsed me. The relief of the family is true love, deeply heart-rending — the embrace of hostage to family akin to the embrace of an Auschwitz survivor to a liberating American soldier.
Hamas in black, holding weapons, straddling the cars of still-terrified hostages, fills me with dark pessimism for all our futures as long as this brand of Islam and its Islamozombie hordes survive.
How hard is it for Hamas to brutally kidnap another one, two, twenty, fifty hostages? It’s a reflexive psychopathy built into their satanic souls, their brutal, imperialistic, sociopathic Islam — an Islam as ready to torture and slaughter their own loved ones as easily as to torture and slaughter others’ loved ones.
Kill them all!
Let not one hostage-taker survive!
Let not one of the 2,000 murderous psychopaths released in this exchange survive the week!
Howard Neiman, Ph.D.
Zohran Mamdani
Dear Editor:
Unfortunately, in New York City, Zohran Mamdani is the Democratic nominee for mayor. When the mayoral election occurs on November 4, as a registered Democrat, I will vote for whichever candidate has the best chance of beating him. I hope that other people will join me in this effort.
According to the Queens Ledger, Glendale Register, Forest Hills Times, LIC Journal, Leader/Observer, Queens Examiner, Greenpoint Star, and Brooklyn Downtown Star — in an article written by Robert Hornak, a veteran political consultant — Mamdani is a vocal supporter of the BDS movement. He refused to sign two purely symbolic bills, including a resolution to condemn the Holocaust and a resolution recognizing the 77th anniversary of the founding of Israel.
As reported by the New York Post, he has falsely claimed that taxpayer dollars are used to fund trips to Israel for local elected officials — inflammatory and factually wrong.
The Queens Jewish Link wrote: “This is aside from his blatant antisemitism. Mamdani, who is a New York State Assemblyman, already pushed legislation that would empower the Attorney General to shut down every Jewish synagogue and nonprofit in the state for giving charity to Israel. As mayor, there is no doubt he would target any pro-Israel institution with a vengeance.”
In addition, Mamdani promises that all New York City buses will be free, CUNY tuition will be free, free childcare will be provided for children up to five years old, and rent-stabilized apartments will have a rent freeze. By 2030, the minimum wage will be raised to $30 per hour, and some grocery stores will be city-owned.
Let’s be real! Could Mamdani accomplish all of this? Clearly, the answer is no. But if he miraculously does implement any of these promises, who will pay for it? Mamdani claims that the money will come from increasing taxes on corporations and the one percent of individuals who make at least $1 million each year.
Apparently, he does not realize that businesses will outsource and leave New York City. Millionaires will also move from our city. So who will pay? The answer is obvious. Middle-class residents will see our taxes rise exorbitantly.
Let’s face it — if Mamdani is elected mayor of New York City, it will be a catastrophe! I urge all New York City residents to vote for any candidate who can beat Zohran Mamdani.
Roberta Kadet Alper
Rego Park
Hillcrest Library Reopening Is Welcome Boost to Community Life
Dear Editor:
For so many families in Central Queens, the Hillcrest branch of the Queens Public Library is a cornerstone of community life. From story time in the children’s room to after-school homework help and quiet spaces for students and seniors, this neighborhood branch has long been a welcoming hub for connection and learning.
That’s why the news of its reopening on Tuesday, October 28, following its brief closure for renovations, is such a bright spot for our area. While the children’s and meeting rooms remain temporarily closed as work continues, the return of public access is a meaningful step forward.
As we all know, Queens is at its best when we invest in the spaces that bring people together. The Hillcrest branch has served generations of families, and these upgrades will help ensure it continues to meet the needs of today’s diverse community.
I’m grateful to Council Member James Gennaro and the leadership at Queens Public Library for recognizing the importance of this branch and prioritizing its restoration.
I look forward to celebrating the full reopening by the end of the year and seeing this space once again filled with the voices of children learning, neighbors gathering, and the steady hum of community life in action.
Sincerely,
Shabsie Saphirstein
Queens, New York
Nobel Prizes
Dear Editor:
Okay, so you don’t remember any of your important passwords or where the piece of paper on which you wrote those passwords is. You also don’t remember the three pieces of ID you need for your Star ID license. Don’t worry! It’s not the onset of dementia. Instead, it’s the government’s way of making your life miserable.
Why can’t you figure out if you need another COVID vaccine? Did you get the flu vaccine or the pneumonia vaccine? Is it the eye doctor or the foot doctor you’re supposed to see this week?
Why didn’t our parents have these problems? Did they ignore all physical pain? Did an aspirin solve all maladies? Why hasn’t the inventor of aspirin or Tylenol won the Nobel Prize?
Speaking of Nobel Prizes, I think there should be one given to the best packer for a three-week trip to Israel. For once, I brought the right clothes — okay, so I had left some from my previous trip — including shoes and slippers. Believe me, it’s almost impossible to limit one’s collection to four pairs.
Meanwhile, the Nobel Peace Prize should go to any mother-in-law who doesn’t irritate, annoy, or say the wrong thing to her daughter, son-in-law, or grandchildren for three weeks.
Lastly, there should be a Nobel Prize for all Jewish women who can come up with different meals for all the Yomim Tovim as well as bake cakes and challahs from scratch. Oslo should recognize that! Maybe I can win the MacArthur Genius Grant. I wonder how much money comes with that!
Debbie Horowitz
No Unity Possible
Dear Editor:
There will never be unity, Mr. Hecht. Your side has Ryan Routh, Tyler James Robinson, and Jay Jones. When people are actively trying to kill you, you don’t make peace with them.
When your side can never give credit to President Trump for any accomplishment, why should there be unity? Zohran Mamdani was videoed in a sukkah with Satmar Chasidim last week. It was revolting to watch. He was also photographed with Brad Lander and Jerry Nadler at a Kol Nidrei service! This isn’t unifying — it’s perverted.
Forget that Mamdani is a Marxist — the guy’s a rabid anti-Semite who calls for the destruction of Israel. And Jews are sitting with him?
Yesterday’s liberals — today’s Marxists — are now crying over the arrest of Jim Comey and Letitia James. “It’s retribution,” they say. When they cheat, lie, and commit illegal acts, it’s perfectly acceptable. When conservatives fight back, we get the outcry of “You can’t do that — it’s retribution.”
Of course, the left always gets the cover of the establishment media, so the left is always protected. For Mr. Hecht to pooh-pooh Comey’s disgraceful behavior, as well as all his underlings at the FBI, James Clapper at DNI, and Communist John Brennan at the CIA, continues to prove that point.
Well, when you commit a real crime — like lying to Congress or filing a false mortgage application — you must accept the repercussions of your criminal behavior. It’s called justice, not retribution.
Mamdani, as well as other candidates around the country, continuously screech, “We have to take on Trump.” Trump is not running against them. The Constitution is the supreme law of the land. The president, as laid out in Article II, is the executive branch. He is in charge of immigration in the U.S.
The Supremacy Clause of the Constitution says that federal law takes precedence over state and local laws. So, all these candidates are either traitors or insurrectionists. They are clearly violating the Constitution. What is taking place in Illinois and Oregon is a perfect example. Interfering in the removal of illegals by ICE is a crime. These “protesters” are violating federal law. It doesn’t matter if Mayor Johnson in Chicago signs some law restricting ICE from certain areas of his city — it’s null and void.
We support our troops and federal law enforcement. The left does not. Nope, no unity.
Shalom Markowitz