Page 62   Friday, April 8, 2011 Community Currents

In recent news… app returns the time, taking into account strategies and meet with a career coordinator. The time zone and seasonal changes. workshop will take place Thursday, April 7, at 10:00 New Yahrzeit and Candle-Lighting Apps “We are excited to be on the cutting edge of tech- a.m. at 938 Kings Highway in . E-mail Plaza Jewish Community Chapel, the only not- nology that allows us to merge Jewish traditions [email protected] or call 212-524-1790 for more infor- for-profi t Jewish funeral home serving the metropol- with high-tech communications,” said Stephanie mation. itan New York Jewish community, has introduced Garry, marketing director of Plaza Jewish Commu- mobile applications for yahrzeit and Shabbat can- nity Chapel. * * * dle lightings. Both are available for free download To date, nearly 1,000 users have downloaded ei- Cong. Anshei Shalom’s Adult Education Com- to iPhone, Android and BlackBerry mobile devices. ther one or both apps. mittee is hosting Rabbi Moshe Meir Weiss, rav of The Yahrzeit app informs and reminds users of Agudath of Staten Island, who will speak on the date of a yahrzeit each year and also allows users Upcoming events… the topic “A Seder Primer” – a step by step approach to personalize the calendars for 25 years and send to having a more meaningful Seder with minhagim e-mails to family and friends. The candle lighting F.E.G.S. Employment Services is holding a and lessons. The lecture, for men and women, will app allows users to check lighting times around the new client orientation workshop where people will take place Motzei Shabbos, April 9, at 10:00 p.m. at world. When users enter their zip code and city, the have an opportunity to network, learn job search 472 Hempstead Ave in West Hempstead.

* * * 11th Annual Mishloach Manot Campaign For Israeli Soldiers Dmitry Salita will return to the ring on Wednes- day, April 13, at the Oceana Ballroom. The fi ght March 15 was the kickoff for the Zionist Orga- and letters written by students and contributors starts at 7:00 p.m. For more information, visit www. nization of America’s Purim IDF Project 2011, dur- thanking them for defending our biblical home- dsalita.com. ing which 4,000 packages were distributed among land. We come to thank them and they can’t stop IDF soldiers at their bases throughout Israel. Ru- thanking us!” * * * bin Margules, president of the ZOA’s Brooklyn Re- The participating schools and congregations On Monday, April 18, at 8:00 p.m. and on Tues- gion and a member of ZOA’s national board, led the included: Hebrew Academy of Long Beach, Rabbi day, April 19, at 8:30 p.m., Havurat Yisrael (108- fi ve-day mission – including one day at the Gaza Jacob Joseph School Merkaz Hatorah, of 11 69th Road in Forest Hills) will host an elegant border under rocket fi re – for this, his eleventh, South Shore, HALB – Davis Renor Stajle Yeshi- Passover Seder with Rabbi David Algaze and guest. multifaceted Purim campaign in Israel. va, Shulamith School for Girls – Elementary, Sh- Havurat Yisrael promises sumptuous meals, a warm In a major effort assisted by the ZOA’s Israel ulamith School for Girls – Middle School, Ramaz family atmosphere, inspiring explanations by the Offi ce, tons of foodstuffs and supplies were pur- Middle School, North Shore Hebrew Academy, rabbis, beautiful singing and fascinating stories. For chased from a variety of vendors, packed in a se- Yeshiva of Flatbush, Prospect Park Yeshiva Ele- more information, call 718-261-5500. ries of community volunteer gatherings, and then mentary, National Council of Jewish Women, The distributed with handwritten letters gathered from Marks JCH of Bensonhurst , Young Is- * * * abroad to thousands of appreciative soldiers. rael of Avenue K, and First Hungarian Congrega- The of Oyster Bay is holding Pesach Margules and his delegation met with sever- tion OHAB Zadek. Seders on Monday, April 18, and Tuesday, April al military and political leaders, most memorably “Thanks to our donors and participating 19, at 7:30 p.m. at 678 Woodbury Road in Woodbury. Deputy Minister Ayoub Kara, MK Yaakov Katz schools, we were able to bring the joy of Purim to The price is $36 for adults and $18 for children un- and Mayor of Ariel, former MK Ron Nachman and thousands of IDF soldiers,” said Rubin Margules, der 12. RSVP by April 11 at www.JewishTOB.org General E. Mizrachi. initiator of the project and president of ZOA’s or 516-682-0404. Brooklyn Region offi ce. “We decided to purchase the supplies for the Purim packages in the econom- * * * ically depressed town of Netivot, to help its busi- Suburban Park Jewish Center, 400 Old nesses. Some of the funds also went toward back- Westbury Road in East Meadow, is holding a com- pack water carriers, shlukerim, which we obtained munity Seder, Tuesday, April 19, following a brief via Yashar L’Chayal, an independent IDF support festival evening service, which begins at 7:00 p.m. organization. We were delighted when it generous- Reservations are required in advance. The cost is ly agreed to match ZOA’s purchase with donations $25 for adults, $10 for children aged 7-12. Chil- of its own” said Margules. dren under 7 are free. For more information, call He continued: “We are especially happy that 516-796-8833 or 516-520-5733 or visit suburban- this year once again Aluma, the organization that parklevtorah.com. supports the female soldiers of the IDF, and the Samaria Regional Council came through by get- * * * ting young volunteers to help us pack and dis- The Chabad Center for Jewish Life’s in Mer- tribute the more than 4,000 mishloach manot. In rick, Long Island is holding Pesach Seders on April addition, the Young Israel, the / 18 at 7:50 p.m. and April 19 at 8:30 p.m.. The Sed- NCSY, , Sar El, the Ariel Development ers will be led by Rabbi Shimon Kramer and will fea- Fund, the Ariel University Center, musician El- ture explanation and commentary based on mystical In addition, with the help of the Ariel Develop- ion Shemesh and volunteer Dovi Weiss of Yeshi- and Kabbalistic insights, humor and song. Suggest- ment Fund and Sar El, ZOA’s Brooklyn Region or- va Shovei Chevron all contributed time and effort ed donation for the Seders is $36 per adult and $18 ganized a pre-Purim concert for over 500 soldiers to make this campaign the outstanding success for children ages 4-12. Reservations are required. that was to feature the popular Harel Skaat at the that it was. The ZOA is very proud of Rubin and Contact Musie at 516-833-3057or visit www.Chab- brand new Ariel Regional Performing Arts Center. the many thousands of participants who, over the adJewishLife.org. The cultural center has been a target of anti-Isra- course of eleven years, have engaged in this quint- el boycotters because of its location in Samaria, so essential Zionist project.” the city of Ariel was extremely grateful for ZOA’s Appealing to the American Jewish community, show of solidarity. At the last minute, however, the Margules added that “we need your help to make Material for concert had to be canceled due to the Fogel family future Purims especially joyous for our soldiers in massacre in Itamar, after which the soldiers were Israel. They are our defenders and our mishloach Community Currents ordered to stay in their bases on high alert. manot project is a perfect opportunity to express Many American yeshivot and congregations appreciation. Writing a note gives a participant a participated in Purim IDF Project 2011, whether chance to offer a personal thank you. How small may be submitted by helping to raise funds or enlisting students to the task, yet how big the reward.” write personal letters to the soldiers. “It is unbe- Those wishing to participate in Purim IDF Proj- via e-mail to: lievable,” said Margules, “seeing the enthusiasm ect 2012 can visit www.zoabrooklyn.org or call 718- these soldiers display as they read these notes 339-8301 for further information. [email protected]

Finally, a low-cost way to get your business online IN UNDER 3 WEEKS Friday, April 8, 2011 THE JEWISH PRESS  Page 63 Community Currents

Assemblyman Cymbrowitz reading to children at the Mid- wood Library on Read Across America Day. After reading The Story of Ferdinand, the assemblyman told his young audience that he was there to highlight the importance of reading for both pleasure and learning. Each summer Assemblyman Cymbrow- itz sponsors a Summer Reading Challenge that encourages stu- dents to read 15 minutes on at least 40 days over their vacations. Students who participate receive personal congratulations from the assemblyman and a New York State Assembly Excellence in Reading Certifi cate.

Residents of Far Rocka- way and the Five Towns at- tended a breakfast reception for Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos on Sunday to dis- cuss the proposed state bud- get that will result in reduced funds for yeshivos, chesed or- ganizations, and the parents of special-needs children. The reception took place in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Asher Schonkopf in Lawrence and was sponsored by Agudath Is- rael of America.

Giving To Masbia

The Yeshiva of Belle Har- NYC Comptroller John Liu volunteering at a Masbia soup Kitchen on March 29. bor gave close to $1400 to Masbia, slightly more than the cost of sponsoring one day at one of its soup kitch- ens. The money was raised by the students and faculty large- ly through their Purim Mitz- vah Store. In a ceremony last week, the students listened to Masbia director Alexander Rapaport speak about the soup kitchen’s efforts to fi ght hunger. Bayla Adler, project coordinator, and Rabbi Boaz Tomsky presented Rapaport with the money and Rapaport presented the school with a plaque in appreciation for its donation. Page 64 THE JEWISH PRESS  Friday, April 8, 2011 Community Currents

New York NCSY recently sent a delegation of 40 young lead- ers from the Greater New York Area to Albany where they met with Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos from Rockville Cen- tre, and Senator Jack Martins from Elmont. The trip was orga- nized and run by OU National Vice President Charlie Harary, who was recently named liaison to the Orthodox Jewish Com- munity by Senator Skelos.

On a recent Motzei Shabbos, Project In- spire presented an evening of chizuk and in- spiration open to the Five Towns communi- ty. The event, entitled “Ish L’rei’eihu – One Nation, One Soul,” featured Rabbi Dovid Orlofsky, with opening remarks by Rabbi Simcha Barnett. The speech was held at The White Shul in Far Rockaway.

Purim with Rav Shraga Feivish Hager, the Kosover .

On Shushan Purim, Crown Heights Yeshiva had a Purim bash. It started the day with French twin acrobats who amazed the audience with their performance. A magician followed, mes- merizing the students with his magic tricks and letting the stu- dents pet the animals that he brought along with him. All of this was followed by a carnival led by Grade 8 girls and boys and their teachers.

Susan Harris, accompanied by her daughter Lily, visits the grave of Jacob Bernstein, her great uncle, who was the oldest victim of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fi re 100 years ago, as part of a memorial or- ganized by the Hebrew Free Burial Association. The association buried 22 of the fi re’s 146 casualties in its Mount Richmond Cemetery on Staten Island, N.Y. where it provides Jewish burial rites and a fi nal resting place for indigent . The fi re led to ma- jor changes in workplace labor and fi re safety laws. (Photo credit: David Karp) Friday, April 8, 2011 THE JEWISH PRESS  Page 65 Community Currents Jewish Concert At BAM Draws 2,100 Tzivos Hashem Celebrates 30th Anniversary With ‘Jewish Kids Got Talent’ Concert By Abi Cohen

fully executed. The words of the song highlighted the theme of the eve- ning: “children have got the power to change the world;” by using their tal- ents and doing good they can really make an im- pact “to bring Moshiach now.” A skit, written and di- rected by Tzirel Raskin and Michelle Lieberman, conveyed the message that kids can infl uence others and, in their inno- cence, change the world for the good. “Never un- derestimate the power of the young” was the message imparted. and partner of the event, Nancy Spielberg, an exec- utive producer, Rabbi , bestselling The Competition author of Towards a Meaningful Life, Ambassador Over the course of the evening many talented chil- Palitha Kohona of Sri Lanka, permanent represen- dren graced the stage to tative to the United Nations, and Cat Greenleaf, fea- show the audience what tures reporter for WNBC NY. they are doing to make After the fi nalists performed, the judges had the the world a better place. chance to ask them a couple of questions about their These children were the talent. Winner of the Achievement category, Men- fi nalists of the “Power of achem Farkash, for example, was challenged by Rab- Jewish Children” Compe- bi Jacobson to begin a chapter of Mishnayos that he tition. The fi nalists of the had chosen. Menachem did so fl awlessly. three competition cate- Michelle Stern, a young violinist, astounded the gories, Chesed, Achieve- crowd with her violin skills. Accompanied by her ment, and Performing mother on the piano, she had the audience wide Arts, showcased their tal- mouthed in awe as she played her piece. She was a ents and acts of kindness clear winner in the Performance category. before the guest judges The Chesed fi nalists all impressed the judges and made their fi nal decision. fi nding an overall winner was diffi cult, but the fi nal Honored judges were winner was chosen after a lovely performance of “If Elly Klienman, presi- I Were A Rich Man” from Fiddler On The Roof by dent and CEO of The Mendel Kugel. Kugel uses his talent to raise mon- Americare Companies ey for charity, bringing joy to the sick and elderly.

The Tzivos Hashem “Jewish Kids Got Talent” Concert Gala, celebrating Tzivos Hashem’s 30th an- niversary and sponsored by The Americare Compa- nies, The Jewish Press, COLlive.com, Allcar Rent a Car, Sparks Productions, Israevents and the Jewish Children’s Museum, was a great success. Over 2,100 people packed into the beautiful Howard Gillman Opera House, marking 30 years since the Lubavitcher Rebbe started Tzivos Hash- em which has served Jewish children worldwide through clubs, rallies, countless publications and craft workshops. The emcee for the evening, comedian Elon Gold of Los Angeles, had the crowd roaring with laughter from the start. The theme song, “Impact,” written by Moshe Kravitsky and performed by the Sparks Choir together with Avraham Fried and Lipa, was beauti-

The fi rst place winners received $5000 for a non- profi t organization of their choice, $2500 for them- selves, half in cash and half in books from Kehot Publishing House. The second place winners received $2500 for a non-profi t organization of their choice, $1250 for themselves, half in cash and half in books from Kehot Publishing House. Second place winners were Esty Levin – Chesed, Mordechai Hertz – Performance, and Zalman Gansburg – Achievement. Third place winners received $1000 for a non-prof- it organization of their choice, $500 for themselves, half in cash and half in books from Kehot Publish- ing House. The winners were Mushka Heidingsfeld – Chesed, Levi Brod – Performance, and Eden Her- ari – Achievement. Co-chairpersons for the evening were Ira Yavar- kovsky and Dr. Marcia Wilf, both long time friends and supporters of Tzivos Hashem and Elly Klienman, president and CEO of The Americare Companies. The evening was produced by Danny Kaizler of Israevents and Danny Finkelman of Sparks Pro- ductions.