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Joe Biden is old.  That wouldn’t be a problem - except he’s the President of the United States and clearly not fully functional. Anyone who has eyes can see as clear as day that Biden’s mental capacity has diminished to the point where continuing to have the power of the presidency is a legitimate danger to the country and the world.  Yet there are Democrat Party loyalists who want to tell you that your eyes are not to be trusted; believe what they say instead.

From many perspectives, Israel is now in a seemingly endless downward spiral. Three EU members – Norway, Ireland, and Spain – recently recognized Palestine as a State. Others indicate they will follow suit. It is unclear what this means, but certainly it is a blow to Israel and its people.

I give credit to the Young Israel of Kew Gardens Hills for arranging the Shavuos forum and for the 100 or so people for showing up. However, I think there may have been a bit of a bait-and-switch, or a gaslighting of sorts, for the people who came expecting to hear what we can do about the widespread problem of anti-Semitism on college campuses and beyond. Instead, we heard that actually, anti-Semitism is not that big of a problem.

Much has been shared on the ongoing election for the vacancy at the Queens County Surrogate’s Court. Supreme Court Justice Cassandra A. Johnson, a candidate in this race, has been a regular at Jewish community functions. With Primary Election Day on the horizon, I took a few minutes to talk with the candidate on her observations of our community.

(June 17, 2024 / JNS) Americans have seen this movie before. Politically motivated masked thugs who gather to intimidate, silence and sometimes inflict violence on the objects of their hate are nothing new in this country. Yet the ubiquitous use of masks—whether in the form of bandannas or Palestinian-style keffiyehs worn by supporters of the Hamas terrorist group to conceal their identity—has become a disturbing staple of contemporary American life.

Like many residents throughout the five boroughs and across the New York Metro area, I was pleasantly surprised by Governor Kathy Hochul’s decision to “indefinitely pause” the implementation of Congestion Pricing. Rather than seeing this as a cynical calculation, as some have alleged, I see the Governor’s decision as a deeply pragmatic response to the crescendo of public concerns that I and many others have raised for years. As the countdown to June 30 implementation date neared, everyday New Yorkers did what we do best: We spoke up for ourselves and said we won’t accept a bad deal! I applaud Governor Hochul for having the courage, not just to listen to us, but to take a tough stand against this misguided policy.