COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

Community Highlights
Daniel Keren
The Torah World Mourns Rav Aharon Moshe Schechter, Zt”l

Rav Aharon Moshe Schechter, zt”l, Rosh Yeshivah of Yeshivas Rabbeinu Chaim Berlin in Flatbush was niftar at the age of 95 on August 24. Thousands attended his levayah at the yeshivah prior to kevurah at Beth David Cemetery in Elmont, NY. Rav Schechter was one of the first American-born roshei yeshivah. In his youth, he studied at Yeshiva Torahs Chaim and credited Rav Isaac Schmidman with influencing him and many other classmates from falling into the American melting pot. After graduating from elementary school, Rav Schechter enrolled in Mesivta Yeshiva Rabbeinu Chaim Berlin where he blossomed as a brilliant ben Torah and became a close talmid of Rav Yitzchok Hutner, the Rosh Yeshivah. After his marriage to Shoshana Roisa, he continued learning at Mesivta Yeshiva Rabbeinu Chaim Berlin and was eventually appointed by Rav Hutner as Rosh Yeshivah. After the petirah of Rav Hutner, Rav Schechter joined the nesius and later the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of Agudath Israel of America.

Jewish Orthodox Police Academy Cadet Graduates at Top of Class

Monsey native Samuel Winsbacher delivered the valedictory speech at the NYPD Police Academy graduation ceremony in July with an overall average of 99.59 percent, the highest in a class of more than 500 cadet graduates. He won two of the eight graduation awards – the Mayor’s Award and the First Deputy Commissioner’s Award. Explaining his desire to join the NYPD, Winsbacher said, “I wanted to be able to go after criminals and not just pull over law abiding citizens who roll through stop signs.” He has been assigned to work with Transit Police District 11, serving the area around Yankee Stadium.

Agudath Israel Helps Restore Chalav Yisrael Cheese on Yeshivah Menus

During the past two years, the United States Department of Agriculture’s National School Lunch Program has refused to provide New York yeshivos with chalav Yisrael cheese due to conflicts between USDA standards and kashrus requirements. Director of Yeshivah Services at the Agudath Israel, Rabbi Yehoshua Pinkus, credited Gila Deutsch of the Jewish Education Project and Sruly Sherer of the World Cheese Company for negotiating new terms with the USDA that will allow thousands of children to receive nourishing meals without compromising their kashrus requirements.

Boro Park Store Owners Furious About Careless Scooter Use

Scooters may be a popular method of transportation, but they are proving to be a great and dangerous nuisance for Boro Park store owners and customers. Many injuries have been reported by pedestrians who tripped over scooters parked on the sidewalk. One case involved a child who accidentally rode his scooter over an elderly shopper’s foot. In another incident, a boy who rode his scooter in Yidel’s Supermarket left a mess of broken glass and spilled liquid. Moshe Landau of Center Fresh Supermarket said, “The danger of scooters lying around is very serious and needs more awareness in the community.”

Flatbush Mourns Rabbi Max Schreier, Z”l, of Avenue N Jewish Center

Rabbi Max Schreier, a”h, who served as Mara d’Asra of the Avenue N Jewish Center from 1963-2013, was recently niftar. Rabbi Schreier also served as president of the Rabbinical Council of America and the Rabbinic Alumni of RIETS (Yeshiva University). Born in Germany in 1923, he was nine when his family fled the Nazis and settled in Williamsburg. Rabbi Schreier studied at Torah Vodaath and Yeshiva University and was granted semichah in 1951. Rabbi Schreier was among those who helped foster the strong Orthodox lifestyle that we enjoy in Brooklyn today.

Senator Felder Optimistic About Special Education Services Improvement

For many years, families of children with special needs have been plagued by bureaucratic obstacles of the New York City Department of Education, incurring massive delays in the services and payments legally required for their children’s education. Federal Judge Loretta Preska in the Manhattan Federal Court recently ordered 40 comprehensive steps to streamline and expedite the DOE process of providing support services and reimbursements. NYS Senator Simcha Felder, who has long criticized the NYC DOE for its failure, said, “After 20 years of neglect by the NYC DOE under previous administrations, I am cautiously optimistic that the Adams administration will take the court’s ruling seriously and implement these changes immediately.”

Brooklyn Mourns the Bostoner Rebbe of Flatbush, Zt”l

Rav Pinchas Dovid Horowitz, zt”l, the Bostoner Rebbe of Flatbush was recently niftar at the age of 78. The son of Rav Moshe Horowitz, who led Bostoner chassidim in Williamsburg, Crown Heights, and Boro Park, the Rebbe attended Torah Vodaath and later, the Tchebiner Yeshiva in Eretz Yisrael, where he received semichah from the Tchebiner Rav, zt”l. He returned to America and learned at Beis Medrash Govoha, where he became a close talmid of Rav Shneur Kotler, zt”l. In 1989, Rav Pinchos Dovid moved his Bostoner Yeshiva Darkei Noam to Midwood. Over the years, he inspired hundreds of talmidim and mispalelim. May his memory be a blessing for all who knew him.

Dirshu’s New Amud HaYomi Program to Begin on Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan
The official launch of the Amud HaYomi will take place Motzoei Shabbos Bereishis, at the historic Sofiensäle Hall in Vienna. This is the same concert hall where, during the month of Elul one-hundred years ago, the groundbreaking, world-changing concept of the Daf Yomi was proposed at the first Knessiah Gedolah. The launch will be held in conjunction with a siyum on seder Nashim and half of Shas in the Daf Yomi machzor and will be graced by leading Gedolei Yisrael from America, Eretz Yisrael and Europe. The new Amud HaYomi machzor will begin daf beis amud aleph in Masechta Brachos on the first day of Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan, October 15. Dirshu will also be publishing a kuntress called Iyun Ha’Amud, compiled by phenomenal talmidei chachomim, to be distributed among Amud Hayomi lomdim throughout the world. The kuntress is intended to assist the lomdim of Amud HaYomi with their learning and it includes the pages of the Gemara, explanations and supplements, marei mekomos and practical applications of the halachah.

JCCMP Back to School Backpack Giveaway
Over 1000 people from Marine Park and surrounding neighborhoods chose to spend Labor Day with the JCCMP on September 4th by attending the JCCMP’s annual Back to School Backpack Giveaway, which took place at Centers Urgent Care on Flatbush Avenue. It was a fun filled event where over 500 children were treated to popcorn, cotton candy, and most importantly, necessary supplies for school. “It’s imperative that we make sure that our children are ready for the new school year, said Shea Rubenstein, executive vice president of the JCC, who was on hand making sure all who registered got the supplies they need. Even community leaders and local officials participated in the event, including Senator Simcha Felder, Councilwoman Farah Louis, Councilwoman Mercedes Narcisse, and representatives of Public Advocate Jumaane Willams. A special thank you to Menucha Worcman, JCCMP’s director of social services for all her help in facilitating the successful event. This is on the heels of an additional Back to School Street Fair that the JCCMP held in conjunction with Plaza Auto Mall, COJO, and COPO, the previous week, which featured ice cream, snacks, and a rock climbing wall sponsored by the NYPD.

HaRav Berel Povarsky talking in learning with Rav Dovid Hofstedter.