News

Chasidic songs were performed by a quartet honoring the yahrzeit of Rabbi Manfred Gans at Congregation Machane Chodosh on Sunday, August 6. The theme was Rising Spiritually after Enduring Adversity.

Maria Rodriguez, a Christian native of Venezuela, is standing on a street corner here one recent windy afternoon, eagerly describing the familiar type of chicken she eats regularly, seven-tenths of a mile down Coney Island Avenue in a small quasi-restaurant in the heart of Flatbush, a heavily Orthodox neighborhood in Brooklyn.

“We didn’t want Shabbos to end!” was the sentiment shared by six couples, who were guests at a recent Emet Shabbaton in Far Rockaway. While a Shabbos away with strangers can be awkward, this one was actually the beginning of new friendships. The couples represented all stages of marriage, from newly married to those married for a decade, but they all shared having grown in Judaism through Emet. Hosted by Rabbi Nissim Musheyev, Emet’s Community Development Director, and his wife Mazal, the Shabbaton exemplified not only the beauty of Shabbos but also the importance of being in a warm community as an observant Jew.

Thursday, August 3, marked a momentous occasion for Camp Kaylie, as it graciously welcomed five esteemed rebbetzins, infusing the camp with an atmosphere of joy and spirituality.

In the month of Elul, we embark on a journey of self-reflection and renewal. Just as the earth readies itself for the harvest, we too must reap the fruits of our deeds. The Hebrew letters of “Elul” are said to embody the phrase “Ani L’dodi, V’dodi Li” – “I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine” (Shir HaShirim 6:3). This phrase encapsulates a profound message, underlining that even in the face of challenges and hardships, we remain embraced by Hashem’s boundless love and guidance.

Chazaq, a leading nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering and enriching the lives of youth, proudly held a ribbon-cutting event for its new, state-of-the-art Chazaq Youth Center in Forest Hills. The momentous event took place with the esteemed presence of distinguished elected officials, underlining the center’s significance as a transformative space for local public-school students.