By Chanita Teitz

As I begin to write this article today (Sunday), I read the headlines of a terror attack prevented on the light rail in Yerushalayim. Baruch Hashem, many lives were saved. At the same time, I read of the grenade that went off in the Golan Heights, killing two soldiers, one an American lone soldier. As my husband and his siblings are in the midst of sheloshim, our minds are very much on death and mourning. What do we mourn, and is there a difference between mourning an older person and a younger one?

Initially the raw pain of realization is so powerful that you feel like jumping out of your skin. When my father was niftar, it was sudden, and when my brother called me, my sobbing was uncontrollable. Years later, when I was told that my mother was days away from death, I felt that my legs were turning to jelly, I felt the blood draining from my head, I was shaking, and I knew that I had to put my head down or I would faint.

These initial reactions probably occur no matter who it is or what their age. Losing a close family member, especially a parent, is heart-rending. The sadness is like an abyss, a dark emptiness that envelops you and covers you like a cloud at the edge of a storm.

As the days of shivah progress, we open up to visitors and to ourselves, reminiscing about the person. We remember their good qualities and times spent with them. Those who come to be menachem avel also tell us of their encounters with the niftar, and all the good memories give us some nechamah and relax our thoughts.

When mourning for an elderly person, knowing that their life was full, happy, and productive gives us some peace of mind. We will always miss them, especially at future family events, but we are mourning the past, the parents that they were, the parents who took care of us. If we have lost both parents, we are orphans and that feeling doesn’t discriminate according to age.

When a young person dies, it is unnatural, not the usual order of things. Parents should never have to bury a child. But if they do, they mourn for their pain and for the untapped potential in the premature loss of life. Babies, children, lone soldiers, young families innocently enjoying the day, children murdered in their beds; all these and other tragedies should cause us all to mourn.

We daven for a time when Hashem will wipe away all the tears and no one will know any more sorrow. May it happen soon.

Past Events

Simply Tsfat at Chazaq event
Simply Tsfat at Chazaq event

Chazaq Presents Simply Tsfat

By Natan Alper

On Sunday night, July 10, Simply Tsfat–a crew of three musicians–showcased some extreme talent. Simply Tsfat ignited the audience at Congregation Etz Chaim in Kew Gardens Hills into feeling like they were at a concert. The event was dedicated in memory of Marshall Epstein (Meir Tzvi ben Natan zt’l) and sponsored by the Barris family. Simply Tsfat played many different pieces, from classic wedding music to lullabies, expressing much joy and humor in their performance and blanketing the crowd with emotion. In addition, they told stories in between songs while playing background music to extract various feelings, ranging from sympathy to happiness. The combination of astonishing instrumental skills, creative uses of music during storytelling, and the amount of energy they expended made for a fantastic Chazaq event!

Chazaq Women’s Event with Sara Chana Kantor

By Oriya Romano

N’shei Chazaq Women’s Division presented Sara Chana Kantor on July 18 at Congregation Beit Eliyahu. Sara Chana Kantor has been playing guitar since she was 10 years old and has been playing professionally throughout New York. She became a ba’alat teshuvah, passionate about learning, playing, and teaching inspirational Jewish songs. On Monday night, the room filled with the sound of Sara’s original songs inspired by the blues and jazz genres. Sara provided a unique take on classic Jewish songs. Everyone enjoyed the refreshments sponsored by A to Z supermarket and a raffle auctioning Studio 18 gift cards. It was truly a night of relaxation accompanied by superb and inspirational music.

For further information about Chazaq or to dedicate an event or program, please visit chazaq.org, e‑mail info@chazaq.org, or call 718-285-9132.

Upcoming Events

Rebbetzin Gloria Leff’s class on Megillat Eichah. The class will continue at the Young Israel of Hillcrest, 170 Street and Jewel Avenue, on Tuesday, July 26, at 11:00 a.m.

Tammy Karmel’s Summer Series on Relationships. Mondays, July 25 and August 1 at 72-23 139th Street, side entrance. Doors open at 7:45 and video begins at 8:00 p.m. sharp. Suggested donation is $5. For more information, call Rivkah Engelson at 347-952-5059.

Chazaq Event with Rabbi Dovid Orlofsky

By Natan Alper

On Tuesday, July 26, the prominent Chazaq organization will iy’H be presenting a fascinating lecture from the world renowned Rabbi Dovid Orlofsky. A graduate of Yeshiva Chofetz Chaim in New York and the Pressburg Yeshiva in Jerusalem, Rabbi Orlofsky was a successful regional director for the NCSY. He is an internationally recognized lecturer, educator, and writer, with multiple essays published and quoted extensively in the New York Times and other national publications.

The lecture will be given in the Young Israel of Jamaica Estates. Refreshments from Chazaq will be served at 8:00 p.m. and the lecture will begin at 8:30 p.m. All are welcome to attend and we hope to see you there.

For further information call 718-285-9132, e‑mail Info@Chazaq.org or visit www.Chazaq.org. v

Chanita Teitz is a real-estate broker at Astor Brokerage in Kew Gardens Hills, serving the entire Queens vicinity. For all your real-estate needs, call her at 718-263-4500 or e‑mail chanita@astorbrokerage.com.

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