At the Kamp Keshet open house
By Chanita Teitz
In all of this snow, ice, and frigid weather, we have been going to one simcha after another: vorts, weddings, and a bar mitzvah all in the past week. We can’t plan the weather to cooperate with a simcha, so we just make the best of the situation.
Luckily my husband’s car has four-wheel drive, so we can drive through snow, but it can still skid on ice, so he has to drive carefully. Here in Kew Gardens Hills most people have been shoveling their walks, but with the last snow over Shabbos, by the time people were able to shovel, it was icy and there seems to be a salt shortage, so there are lots of icy patches.
My pet peeve is homeowners with corner properties who don’t shovel all the way to the end of the block and clear a path right out to the street. The corners become treacherous snow and ice mounds that are hard to climb over without slipping. Since the curbsides are also piled high with snow, it would at least be easy to get out to the street if we could walk through a clear path. Especially if you are hiring someone to shovel for you or if you have strong, able teenagers, that little extra would be a real kindness for your neighbors.
Storeowners on Main Street are pretty good about shoveling and keeping their sidewalks clear of ice. Lately, I’ve noticed that more of them are shoveling all the way to the curb and into the street to make it easier for people to get out of their cars and onto the sidewalk. It’s good business to get people into your store as easily as possible. Also if the sidewalk leading to your store entrance is on a slant, putting a mat down helps people from slipping when it’s wet and icy.
Let’s hope that the worst is behind us. Bring on the rain and warmer temps so whatever snow and ice we have now will melt. That will cause puddles and rivers of melted snow and ice, so keep an eye on your basements. In the spring it would be a good idea to make sure that your property is properly graded or waterproofed to minimize or eliminate flooding.
May all our simchos be like snowflakes, falling abundantly and blowing in our direction!
Past Events
Dramatic Camp Keshet Open House. Camp Keshet held an open house on Motzaei Shabbos, to the delight of the many girls who braved the snow to participate in a magical evening. They put on sunglasses, built ice cream sundaes, and decorated the gym with colorful umbrellas and beach balls. The program included learning new dances, an obstacle course, and the first taste of the summer’s drama and theater workshop. The camp director, Mrs. Blimie Berkowitz, was delighted to see so many girls enjoy the theater improv. “The girls absolutely loved the workshop. I am so excited about it. I can’t wait to see our production at the end of the summer.”
While Keshet will have all of the standard programs, such as professional swim instruction, major trips, late-night activities, and sports leagues, its focus on creative arts sets it apart. “We have worked hard to design a truly unique experience for the girls this summer. During the long school year, the girls don’t always have the time to spend exploring and developing their creativity. Camp Keshet will give them that chance.”
Camp Keshet also promises to have a warm and friendly atmosphere that has been the hallmark of Bnos Malka Academy. Mrs. Berkowitz, a parent and former teacher in the school, along with the camp’s head counselor, Morah Shani Goldstein (who is in her second year as a teacher at BMA), are sure to instill those same values this summer.
Upcoming Events
Chabad of Great Neck Annual Dinner. Monday, March 3, 5:30 p.m. at Temple Israel of Great Neck, 108 Old Mill Road. To RSVP call 516-487-4554 or e-mail dinner2014@chabadgn.com.
Rebbetzin Aviva Feiner, “Savlanus.” The Neshei of Kehilas Ishei Yisrael will present the guest shiur Sunday, February 23, 8:00 p.m., at Kehilas Ishei Yisrael (YCQ) 70-10 150th Street. $5 admission fee for non-members. For sponsorship, please e-mail neshei@isheiyisrael.org.
A Pre-Purim Spectacular: Marbim B’simcha. Sunday, February 23, 6:30–10:30 p.m. at the Young Israel of Kew Gardens Hills 70-11 150th Street in Flushing. Find Your Zivug Corp. and Young Israel of Kew Gardens Hills are running this event l’zecher nishmas Breindel bas Dov Lemel, a’h, Yaakov’s mother. It is for the “frum” and “with it” crowd in their twenties and thirties. Hosts: Leeba Herman, Moshe and Chaviva Verschleisser, Faige Lloyd, Elyse Eskenazi, Reena Kevelson, Peretz Goldman, Eli and Zahava Dinewitz, and shadchan Baila Sebrow.
Mini Chinese Auction for Tzedakah. Enjoy a structured yet laid-back event along with food, fun, meet and mingle, and more. Make sure to send your profile as well as register for the event. Sponsored by PeacefulResolutionsUSA.com. For more details and/or to join their growing e-mail list for free as well as to send your profile, visit www.findyourzivug.com.
Rabbi Zvi Lew, of YUHS for Girls, Shiur for Women: The Meaning and Halachos of Purim. Wednesday, February 26, 8:30 p.m. This free lecture, which is part of a series on various topics, is open to all women and is held at Congregation Etz Chaim of Kew Gardens Hills, 147-19 73rd Avenue. Expected future dates are 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 25, and Wednesdays, April 30, May 28, and June 25. For more information, call 718-575-0594.
Congregation Ahavas Yisroel’s Women’s League “Live with Leah Forster.” Rosh Chodesh Adar Sheni, Sunday March 2; Show at 8:15 prompt. Light dessert will be served. Cost $10.
“Dummies Celebrate Purim” with Jonathan Geffner. The world-renowned ventriloquist comes to Ahavas Yisroel on Sunday, March 2. First show at 1:15 for girls ages 7–12, and second show for boys ages 7–12 at 2:15. Children under 7 can attend either show. Cost $5.
Chazaq Women Division presents Rabbanit Yemima Mizrachi “The Secret to Real Happiness.” Rabbanit Yemima Mizrachi was recently voted one of Israel’s most influential women. Rabbanit Yemima Mizrachi speaks straight to the heart of women. Hundreds flock to her weekly lectures, representing the full gamut of Israeli society—old and young; secular and religious; Ashkenazi and Sephardi; Chassidic, Modern Orthodox, and Chareidi. As a speaker, she exudes a phenomenal energy. Her words tumble forth almost without pause for breath, a torrent of care and concern, warmth and humor, and all with an Israeli straightforwardness that is immediately engaging. A mother, a lawyer, and a granddaughter of the former Chief Rabbi of Morocco, Rabbanit Mizrachi is a brilliant and creative Torah scholar in her own right. She has a unique ability to present profound Torah teachings in a practical, down-to-earth manner, showing their deep relevance to life.
On Sunday night, March 2, hundreds of women are expected to fill up Yeshiva Ohel Simcha in Kew Gardens Hills for Rabbanit Yemima Mizrachi’s only public appearance in New York. The entrance fee is $15 in advance and $20 at the door. VIP and preferred seating available in advance. Doors open at 8:30 p.m. For more information or to reserve seats, please call or text Leora at 646-541-6833 or 917-617-3636 or e-mail Info@Chazaq.org.
JBD, The Jewish Business Development and Networking Group. Business professionals, owners, and operators are invited to join a networking breakfast on Wednesday, March 5, 7:45 a.m. Arrive as early as 7:30 to start networking at JBD’s new Kew Gardens Hills location. JBD is a group of Jewish professionals looking to make connections with other Jewish professionals, to help grow their business and enhance professional “contact” databases.
Their professions include lawyers, computer professionals, IT specialists, designers, accountants, printers, dentists, funeral directors, brokers, photographers, and many more. E-mail Jennifer.Martin@sci-us.com to RSVP and get the exact location of the meeting. This meeting is not intended for those seeking employment opportunities.
Condolences
To Josh Glickman and family on the petirah of Shiffy Glickman. HaMakom Yenachem eschem b’soch she’ar aveilei Tziyon v’Yerushalayim.
Mazal Tov . . .
To Dr. and Mrs. Avraham Rambod on the bar mitzvah of their son Eliyahu.
To Rabbi and Mrs. Chayim Schwartz on the engagement of their son Nosson Yishaya to Noa Rivka Gross.
To Mr. and Mrs. Menachem Petrushka on the engagement of their daughter Gila to Alan Goldberg.
To Mr. and Mrs. Eddie Sherman on the wedding of their daughter, Aliza, to Zach Orlofsky. Mazal Tov to the grandfather Mr. Henry Sherman and to the grandmother, Mrs. Riva Meltzer. 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.