COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

Community Highlights 

Daniel Keren

JCCMP Pesach Food Distribution 

Join the JCC of Marine Park in helping over 200 families make Pesach this year. At a time of increasing financial difficulty, the boxes distributed, which contain holiday staples and necessities such as, grape juice, produce, and gift cards to local vendors, make all the difference to the struggling families. This year’s food packing will be held on March 14 from 11 A.M to 2 P.M. To volunteer, please contact menucha@jccmp.org.  To donate, please visit jccmp.org/donate. Your friends and neighbors need you! 

Release of Dirshu Sefer Hamafteiach 

“Hafla va’feleh!” was the enthusiastic response of Rav Aryeh Malkiel Kotler, shlita, Rosh Yeshivah of Beis Medrash Govoha of Lakewood to the news of Dirshu’s Sefer Hamafteiach, a groundbreaking index on the entire Mishnah Berurah.  “The velt,” continued Rav Kotler, “owes Dirshu a huge yasher koach for the sefer.” Numerous other Gedolei Yisrael echoed these sentiments when they saw the book. As its name implies, the Sefer Hamfteiach on the Mishnah Berurah, is a comprehensive index on the entire six volumes of the Mishnah Berurah, Mahaduras Dirshu. The 700-page sefer contains more than 6,000 categories and exceeds 30,000 subcategories!

Boro Park Chaveirim Volunteers Patch 16th Avenue Sinkhole

In response to the failure of the City to fill in a dangerous and large sinkhole on 16th Avenue and 48th Street after numerous 311 calls, members of the Boro Park Chaveirim came to the rescue and did the job themselves. After getting thousands of phone calls from community members who reported getting flat tires due to the street damage, three Chaverim volunteers purchased asphalt and other required supplies and filled the sinkhole at 1 A.M. when the street was quiet and most residents were off the road.

Mayor de Blasio Focus on Vaccinating Holocaust Survivors

Mayor de Blasio met with rabbis and Jewish communal leaders to coordinate a special program designed to focus on vaccinating Holocaust survivors. The Mayor recalled meeting Holocaust survivors, moved by the power of their faith and impressed “by their spirit, by the way they kept moving forward despite everything they experienced.” He declared, “We gotta to be there for these people. We’re going to initiate an effort right away to make sure Holocaust survivors are vaccinated.”

City Agrees to Dismiss Fines on Shuls

City Councilman Kalman Yeger announced that New York City has agreed to dismiss $15,000 fines levied against 26 shuls in Brooklyn and Queens for violating New York State restrictions imposed by Governor Cuomo in the summer and fall. Enforcement of the state restriction on gatherings of over 25 people or 33 percent occupancy did not include “essential businesses,” which were allowed to remain open without any occupancy restrictions. The decision to dismiss the heavy fines followed a federal judge ruling that the state restrictions were unconstitutional. Both the Agudath Israel and the Brooklyn Catholic Diocese argued that the restrictions were an unconstitutional infringement on freedom of religion.

Oorah Girl’s Summer Camp Sues Schoharie County for Religious Discrimination

In response to Governor Cuomo’s decision to close all summer camps last year, Oorah transformed its famous Zone summer camp for girls to family residences. Despite Oorah’s expensive investment in reconfiguring sleeping areas, sanitizing stations, the use of face masks, and mandatory COVID-19 testing, Oorah was fined more than $60,000 in health violations by county inspectors. Oorah is now suing Schoharie County for being unduly targeted by officials while similar secular camps in the county were not subjected to fines or harassment.

COJO of Flatbush Free Tax Return Preparation

COJO of Flatbush is once again offering free tax returns to individuals earning $48,000 or less or families earning $68,000 or less. The program aims to help eligible individuals or families claim every last dollar, while focusing on both the EITC (Earned Income Tax Credit) and CCTC (Child Care Tax Credit). To schedule an appointment, please email taxprep@jewishcouncil.org.

Senator Simcha Felder Demands Skip of Annual Property Tax Increase

State Senator Simcha Felder sent letters to Mayor de Blasio and City Council Speaker Corey Johnson demanding that New York City skip this year’s annual rise in property tax. “Considering the health and economic crisis we are facing, it is the height of chutzpah that New York City would increase property taxes during the peak of this pandemic, especially after New Yorkers have been asked to sacrifice so much.” He noted that both the state and city governments have offered much needed relief for renters and tenants, while ignoring the plight of overlooked homeowners.

Yeled V’Yalda WIC Remote Processing to Mothers 

Are you expecting? Do you have a child under five? Did you just have a baby? If so, you qualify for a WIC Card valid for foods such as milk, cheese, eggs, fruits, and vegetables. You can also obtain nursing support and personalized nutrition counseling. There is no need to come to Yeled V’Yalda Wic’s Boro Park office as you can take advantage of remote processing by phone or by emailing wic@yeled.org.

HaRav Shlomo Feivel  Schustel  reviewing the new Mafteiach on the Dirshu Mishnah Berurah.