See You At The Parade
Dear Editor,
This year the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum marked Holocaust Remembrance by honoring the legacy of the “Liberators,” those American soldiers who liberated the Nazi concentration camps. Many historians contend that every soldier who took up arms against the Nazis to defend this great nation in World War II deserves to be called a liberator. One such liberator is Cedarhurst Mayor Andrew Parise.
Every year, the villages of Lawrence and Cedarhurst gather to honor the memory of those who fought so bravely for us all in the armed forces of the United States. Among the fallen are those who made the ultimate sacrifice in WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Afghanistan, and Iraq. We are proud to hold a parade every Memorial Day running from Lawrence to Cedarhurst Park. Attendance at our parade has been less than impressive in recent years, and the number of World War II veterans is dwindling. I therefore urge you to remind your neighbors and friends of the great honor that you do for the memory of the fallen, for the legacy of those still living, and for our great country by attending the parade on the morning of May 27 starting at 10:30 a.m.
Just come to Central Avenue between Washington Avenue and Cedarhurst Avenue and grab a flag.
As a community, we owe this country and those who fought for us a tremendous debt of gratitude. I look forward to seeing you there.
Michael Fragin
Trustee and Fire Commissioner
Village of Lawrence
Queens Dems Endorse Lancman
Dear Editor,
I am very excited to announce that the Queens Democratic Party has endorsed me for City Council. I am truly grateful to Congressman Joe Crowley, Chairman of the Queens Democratic Party, and all the district leaders and elected officials whose overwhelming support has made this endorsement possible.
I also want to thank you for your support and encouragement. We’re still 113 days from the primary, but today’s endorsement–and our continued hard work–paves the way for a big win on election day.
Stay tuned, and thanks again. Today is a great day.
Sincerely,
Rory Lancman
What Are Your Husbands Doing in Shul?
Dear Editor,
I have a question for young married women in the Far Rockaway community: What do your husbands do in shul?
This may sound like an odd question. In most cases, men leave home Friday night or Shabbos morning to go and daven. Happily, our community provides a host of mekomos tefillah that provide a truly inspirational environment. However, I have sadly observed that some young men make the trek to shul only to miss the main event by six feet.
In one local synagogue, there is a group of men, most of them married, who leave home on Friday night ostensibly to daven, yet do not set foot in the main sanctuary. Instead, they spend their time in a side room. There they sit around, conversing about many things, including business (forbidden on Shabbos).
In another shul, there are about fifteen men, again mostly young marrieds, who (at minimum) spend the entire Kerias HaTorah and Musaf portions of the service in a small beis midrash to the side of the sanctuary. They sit there for hours, talking, as they miss leining and tefillah b’tzibbur. I discovered this when during a break from davening, I went into this beis midrash to learn for a few minutes. I was surprised to hear these gentlemen speaking loudly about things having nothing to do with Torah. When I pointed out that we were in a beis midrash, where idle speech is forbidden, one of them responded, “We do this all the time. We were here before you.” (I noticed at least some of them finally get around to davening Musaf, albeit without a minyan.)
Let me note that I am not talking about recent ba’alei teshuvah or about guys who are on the fringe. By their appearances, these are men who went through the yeshiva system. Some of them even wear extremely frum-looking clothing, such as a long frock.
Hence my query to the wives of these men: Do you know what your husbands are doing in shul? Do you know that when your husband goes to shul, he is not davening for you and your family? Do you realize that he is forfeiting the amazing rewards that are gained from davening in a minyan? If you are not certain, why not ask him?
Now if these men are bent on schmoozing away their shul time, better they do it outside the sanctuary than inside. Yet ultimately the purpose of going to shul is not to hang out with friends; it is to connect in a profound way with the community of K’lal Yisrael and with Hashem.
Avi Goldstein