Queens Jewish Link
Connecting the Queens Jewish Community 
By the time you read this, we may well know the result of the Special Election for the City Council. But if you think there will be a respite from politics, guess again. The big election this year will be the Primary on June 22. The winner has already started running for re-election and potential opponents are already gearing up. They will start collecting signatures to get on the ballot in less than three weeks.
I am writing this article on an El Al flight back to Israel, having concluded a two-week visit with family and friends. New York – or at least the few parts that I saw – looked the same to me, with one new addition in the frum community that everyone is excited about: the 24-hour “Minyan Factory,” which allows you to daven any time you want. I must admit that these places are extremely convenient, and I davened in the “Non-Stop Minyanim” in the Five Towns and also in the brand-new one in Monticello on St. John Street. From mikvah to Minchah, and from Kaddish to coffee, these places offer everything am Yisrael needs – except one. Women are not welcomed in these minyan factories.
Many of us would not consider ourselves political individuals and do not put going to the polls on our list of priorities. Nonetheless, casting your ballot gives you a voice on issues ranging from housing and education to employment and healthcare. Being involved in the voting process allows you make a real difference in the makeup and decisions within your community. Casting a vote has dire consequences for the quality of life that both you and your family experience today and in the years ahead. From riding the bus or train to raising minimum wage to getting better textbooks in school, your vote decides how these issues will play out. Casting your ballot affords you the opportunity to delegate how your hard-earned tax dollars are divvied out for necessities like medical expenses and social services that many take for granted.
Two unforgettable events exactly 200 years apart… completely different, yet magically the same. The “hand” of Hashem evident in both. Tremendously meaningful, historically earth-shattering, with deep significance to the Jewish people. We need to thank Hashem for both of these miracles: the establishment of the United States of America on July 4, 1776, and the Entebbe hostage rescue on July 4, 1976.
I have spoken in 500 Jewish communities across the globe and have heard—countless times—the following line: “I will make Aliyah when Moshiach arrives.” Here’s my one question for anyone who thinks that way: Do you really believe that? Let’s take a closer look.
I love chareidim. I love their simple way of life and modest living. I love the large families they have, their uncompromising dedication to Torah, and the respect they show their elders. I love the people they admire, the music they listen to, and the fact that most of them have never heard of Netflix, ESPN, or the Knicks. I love their chesed, their simple vacations, and their non-extravagant weddings.
