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Turnout for the primary elections this past Tuesday was paltry, as it is not the year for electing the president, governor, or mayor. For political activists and community leaders, however, the primary offered the opportunity to determine the future of the Democratic Party. Would it be represented by centrists or leftists? The election also demonstrated which communities were more politically active in shaping the membership of the City Council, among other local seats.

Three decades ago, when Liba Bukalov emigrated from Ukraine, she spoke of the anti-Semitism that caused her to flee for a better life in New York. Raised in a household that prized mathematics, she became an award-winning public school math teacher who co-authored two textbooks, is a four-time recipient of the Math for America Master Teacher fellowship and is a volunteer at the nonprofit Tutoring Without Borders.

If you’ve seen local demonstrations organized by progressive groups, you may have seen volunteers with bright caps and shorts in such crowds. They are members of the National Lawyers Guild who defend protesters against alleged police misconduct, taking videos and notes. Their members come from many law schools and certainly the CUNY School of Law is among them, as its mission is devoted towards “law in the service of human needs.”

The last of a generation passed away on veterans’as it coincided with the weekend of Memorial Day, an apparent fit for Loretta Z. Weiss, 103, longtime member of multiple veterans’ organizations and supporter of civic causes. She would have celebrated her 104^th birthday on June 2.

The most visible way to demonstrate support for Israel is by showing up. This Sunday, the Celebrate Israel Parade along Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue will honor the 75^th anniversary of Israel’s restored independence with “Renewing the Hope” as this year’s theme.

In his first foreign trip since being elected, Long Island’s three Republican Congressmen joined Speaker Kevin McCarthy on a trip to Israel this week to promote ties and highlight the importance of the country as an ally.