The Jewish Link - Expanded Edition

08/11/2024

Last night, hundreds of community members gathered in the face of a pro-Palestinian protest at a Bergenfield residence. Both groups grew over the course of the evening, and police were present.

07/10/2024

🇮🇱 ONE YEAR LATER: A look back at our top stories reflecting on October 7

When we created the “Israel at War” section in the paper following the horrific attacks on Israel on October 7, we could not have fathomed how many more stories about the same turmoil we would go on to publish over the next year. 🕯️In light of today’s somber anniversary, we are sharing some of the most impactful and memorable stories from the past year.

Stay tuned for this week’s special commemorative edition of The Jewish Link.

04/09/2024

🎙️ Our assistant digital editor Eliana Birman joined Fox & Friends this morning to share her experiences with antisemitism on Columbia’s campus this week as anti-Israel protests ensue.

Barnard College students Shoshana Aufzien and Eliana Birman and Columbia University student Aryeh Krischer join 'Fox & Friends' to share their experiences on campus as anti-Israel protests continue.

03/09/2024

💔 In the end, there was closure. We lost the battle. They stole our children. Yes, “our” children because “we” (the Jewish people) are above all else a family. Maybe a family that squabbles with each other dysfunctionally but a family that shares in each other’s lives, good and bad, momentous and painful.

🔗 Read the full story on our website:

In the end, there was closure. We lost the battle. They stole our children. Yes, “our” children because “we” (the Jewish people) are above all else a family. Maybe a family that squabbles with each other dysfunctionally but a family that shares in each other’s lives, good and bad, momentou...

27/08/2024

🎗️ For Rosh Hashanah 5785, Artscroll Printing has unveiled their new featured card entitled “October 7 Dove.” Artscroll Printing’s president explained: “This year, Jenny Platzman, who has curated the last 22 years of Rosh Hashanah cards along with our lead designer, Ilana Landau, created a beautiful card that commemorates this time in the lives of Jewish people. By remembering those we have lost since October 7, and those who are still being held hostage, we hold onto the hope for their safe return, a brighter future, and a time of peace. Am Yisroel Chai.”

🔗 Read the full story on our website:

For Rosh Hashanah 5785, Artscroll Printing has unveiled their new featured card entitled “October 7 Dove.”   Elliot Schwartz, Artscroll Printing’s president, explained: “The year after September 11, we produced a card commemorating that historic day. Many people ordered that card and it tou...

26/08/2024

✡️ My name is Eliana Birman. I am a proud Jew and Zionist, and this week, I moved into my dorm at Barnard College of Columbia University. I’m heading into the belly of the beast.

🔗 Read the full story on our website:

My name is Eliana Birman. I am a proud Jew and Zionist, and this week, I moved into my dorm at Barnard College of Columbia University. I’m heading into the belly of the beast.   Barnard has always felt like the perfect fit for me. The “girls supporting girls” mentality, combined with the scho...

22/08/2024

⭐️ With your help, The Jewish Link has compiled a list of the best local businesses in the following categories:
🍴Food & Drink
🩺 Health
🛏️ Travel & Hospitality
📞 Professional Services
🕍 Jewish Life
🎉 Simcha & Events
👠 Fashion
🚘 Auto
🎭 Arts
🏡 Home & Living

Read here:

21/08/2024

🦮 This past Pesach, 11-year-old Lielle Frankel of Teaneck visited the Israel Guide Dog Center for the Blind (IGDC) and learned about how they help blind Israelis navigate the world. This visit inspired Frankel, who was looking for a project ahead of her bat mitzvah that could combine all of her interests—dogs (she has a mini Labradoodle named Daisy and loves animals), baking, Israel and helping those in need. Knowing how expensive it is for the IGDC to raise and care for every dog from puppyhood to retirement, Frankel decided to raise money for the center by baking and selling homemade dog treats. All earnings will be donated to the IGDC, which is funded primarily by private donations. Frankel will even make personalized jars to hold the treats.

To donate, visit https://www.tinyurl.com/lielleIigdc
To buy dog treats, visit www.tinyurl.com/lielletreats

🔗 Read the full story on our website:

This past Pesach, 11-year-old Lielle Frankel of Teaneck visited the Israel Guide Dog Center for the Blind (IGDC) in Warrington, Pennsylvania and toured the facility with her family, learning about how they help blind Israelis navigate the world. The IGDC raises Labrador Retriever puppies, trains the...

21/08/2024

📸 Shye Klein, 27, is a survivor of the Nova music festival on October 7. Klein has been vocal about his experience and has shared his story with many news outlets including MSNBC, CNN, BBC and more. I had the privilege of hearing Klein speak to a small audience in Tel Aviv during a month-long volunteer trip to Israel in July, and he wanted to share his story with The Jewish Link.

🔗 Read the full story on our website:

Part of what makes visiting Israel different from visiting other countries is the knowledge that we are surrounded by everyday heroes. These are people who, when put to the test, make snap decisions, put others before themselves and save the lives of friends and strangers. Israel is full of ordinary...

14/08/2024

🎙 What do we say when the world stands silent? Moshe and Elizabeth welcome Ofir Akunis - אופיר אקוניס , the Consul General of Israel in New York , to speak about the challenges Jewish communities face worldwide and how to create positive change. Consul Akunis reflects on the issues he's addressed since he arrived in America and the unwillingness of world leaders to address the Iranian threat to Israel.

Listen to the full episode wherever you get your podcasts, and watch the full interview on our YouTube channel:

Moshe and Elizabeth welcome Ofir Akunis, the Consul General of Israel in New York, to speak about the challenges Jewish communities face worldwide and how to...

07/08/2024

🎗️ Last week, The Jewish Link was pleased to sit down with Consul General Ofir Akunis, who on May 1 took up Israel’s top diplomatic post in New York, as consul general of its largest consulate in the world. Our meeting was recorded as a podcast, which will be available on streaming platforms soon!

🎙️ Read “A Conversation With Israeli Consul General of New York Ofir Akunis": https://jewishlink.news/a-conversation-with-israeli-consul-general-of-new-york-ofir-akunis/

📱 Read “Passaic’s Naftali Shavelson, Media Rep to Consul General”: https://jewishlink.news/passaics-naftali-shavelson-media-rep-to-consul-general/

Last week, The Jewish Link was pleased to sit down with Consul General Ofir Akunis, who on May 1 took up Israel’s top diplomatic post in New York, as consul general of its largest consulate in the world. Our meeting was recorded as a podcast, which will be available here: https://podcasts.apple.co...

06/08/2024

🏥 Matan Brandon Rosenthal is a 22-year-old student majoring in finance and neuroscience at Muhlenberg College. This remarkable young man has volunteered around the world with his family. He has traveled with his family to Peru, Alaska, the Dominican Republic, Israel and Africa on medical missions. Last year, Rosenthal decided to fill a tremendous, life-saving need: building the first medical-dental hospital in the center of the largest slum in Africa: Kibera, a neighborhood in Nairobi, Kenya.

🔗 Read the full story on our website:

22-year-old takes tikkun olam to new heights with ambitious project. Matan Brandon Rosenthal grew up in The Bronx and is a 22-year-old student majoring in finance and neuroscience at Muhlenberg College. And Rosenthal is working toward making the impossible possible.   Rosenthal has accomplished muc...

01/08/2024

🚔 BREAKING: In the largest multi-country prisoner swap since the Cold War, Russia agreed to free Jewish American journalist Evan Gershkovich and former US Marine Paul Whelan today. This deal will allow the two wrongfully detained prisoners to return home to the US.

🔗 Read the full story on our website:

In the largest multi-country prisoner swap since the Cold War, Russia agreed to free Jewish American journalist Evan Gershkovich and former US Marine Paul Whelan on Thursday. This deal will allow the two wrongfully detained prisoners to return home to the US. Gershkovich, 32, was arrested in March 2...

30/07/2024

📖 When then-16-year-old Zac Levy encountered a homeless young woman, he remembered the “60 second rule” his father taught him: when you have an idea or thought, act on it immediately. He applied that rule when waiting in line at a 7-Eleven with his father in the Boston area. He and his father saw a woman struggling to pay for her drink and paid for her. After leaving the store they noticed her on the side of the road and realized she was homeless. Levy felt both compassion and curiosity about how someone that young — he estimated her to be about 18 or 19 — got in that position.

🔗 Read the full story on our website:

When Zac Levy encountered a homeless young woman, he remembered the “60 second rule” his father taught him: when you have an idea or thought act on it immediately He applied that rule after the encounter two years ago when the then-16-year-old was waiting in line at a 7-Eleven with his father in...

30/07/2024

✈️ Jeremy and Rina Schiowitzs’ one week trip to the Canadian Rockies almost went according to plan. The Woodmere couple stayed in Canmore (right near Chabad), and toured Banff and Jasper. Described by many as an “outdoor enthusiasts’ paradise,” Jeremy and Rina tremendously enjoyed their Canadian Rockies vacation. Little did they know, CrowdStrike would change their plans and give them a Shabbos to remember.

🔗 Read the full story on our website:

Jeremy and Rina Schiowitzs’ one week trip to the Canadian Rockies almost went according to plan. The Woodmere couple stayed in Canmore (right near Chabad), and toured Banff and Jasper. Described by many as an “outdoor enthusiasts’ paradise,” Jeremy and Rina tremendously enjoyed their Canadia...

30/07/2024

🚒 SPECIAL COVERAGE: FIRE IN FAIR LAWN LEADS TO OUTPOURING OF CHESED

After a devastating fire in Fair Lawn left beloved Kosher eateries destroyed, achdut and chesed in the Jewish community shine.

🔥 Read about the fire: https://jewishlink.news/fire-in-fair-lawn/
💪 Read about the ‘Roadhouse Schleppers’ who ran to help before Shabbat: https://jewishlink.news/roadhouse-shleppers-to-the-rescue/
💌 Read a letter to the community from Fair Lawn Roadhouse owners: https://jewishlink.news/reflections-on-achdut-and-chesed-in-fair-lawn-2/

A devastating fire has left the Fair Lawn Jewish community shell-shocked and wondering about the future of several local kosher businesses.   Shortly after 2 a.m. on Friday morning, July 26, the overnight crew at Zadies Kosher Bake Shop felt an unusual amount of heat and smelled smoke. Upon exiting...

26/07/2024

🚒 A fire in Fair Lawn erupted from a restaurant around 2:30 a.m. this morning. The entire shopping center, including our valued partners at Zadies Kosher Bake Shop, Fair Lawn Roadhouse, and Mashu mashu kosher sushi bar went up in flames. We are glad to hear there are no injuries and hope to share news about their rebuilding very soon.

🔗 Read the full story on our website: https://jewishlink.news/fire-destroys-fair-lawn-shopping-center-including-zadies-bake-shop-and-more/

24/07/2024

🪑Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) is set to resign his seat effective August 20. Menendez recently faced a corruption trial and was convicted of all charges, including accepting bribes, acting as a foreign agent and obstructing justice, on July 16.

🔗 Read the full story on our website:

Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) is set to resign his seat effective August 20. Menendez recently faced a corruption trial and was convicted of all charges, including accepting bribes, acting as a foreign agent and obstructing justice, on July 16. Menendez has faced increasing pressure from his own party...