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Powerful Speakers Inspire Queens Men to Strengthen Kedushah and Prepare for the Yamim Nora’im

On Sunday night at Beth Gavriel in Forest Hills, hundreds of men gathered for a program titled “The Secret to the Best Life,” co-presented by Chazaq, Ami Athletics, and Guard Your Eyes (GYE). It aimed to prepare the community for the Yamim Nora’im and address one of the greatest spiritual battles of our generation: guarding our eyes in a world overflowing with distraction.

On a perfect summer evening, more than 700 community members gathered in the open field beside Cunningham Park’s tennis courts, just off Union Turnpike and 196th Street, for an energetic, family-friendly concert. Hosted by the Queens Jewish Community Council (QJCC), the annual Summer Under the Stars celebration united Jews of all ages, backgrounds, and neighborhoods in an evening filled with ruach, music, and pride.

In Jewish thought, zikaron (remembrance) is more than memory; it is a sacred obligation. Just as we recall the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash each Tish’ah B’Av, we also mark tragedies of our own era, transforming grief into action and strength.

Here in Queens – where Rabbi Berel Wein’s cassettes once lined the shelves of the Queens Torah Library and circulated from home to home – the loss of his voice feels deeply personal. As a young boy volunteering there, I remember how quickly his tapes disappeared into eager hands. That was one of my first encounters with his gravity: realizing that Jewish history, told through Torah, could stir the soul.

Queens is once again zocheh to host HaGaon HaRav Yitzchok Kolodetsky shlita this Shabbos, parshas Ki Seitzei. A son-in-law of the late Sar HaTorah, Maran HaGaon HaRav Chaim Kanievsky zt”l, Rav Kolodetsky has become a beacon of Torah and chizuk for klal Yisrael. Each gathering in our community is remembered not merely for the words shared, but for the k’dushah and inspiration that linger long afterward.

On Rosh Chodesh Elul, the Young Israel of Hillcrest was filled with a spirit of inspiration and achdus, as hundreds gathered for a shiur with world-renowned maggid and mohel, Rabbi Paysach Krohn. The event, hosted by Chazaq in partnership with Renewal, All About Kindness, Bat Melech, and TorahAnytime, was dedicated l’ilui nishmas Rachel Aliza bas Ora Nisanov a”h and R’ David ben Istam Nisanov z”l, and for the continued r’fuah of Aviva Bracha bas Ora Nisanov.