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90 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE Groundbreaking for New Hatzolah Headquarters Council Member Simcha Felder and Mayor Michael Bloomberg were joined by Hatzolah leaders, members of the community, and other elected officials on March 12, to celebrate the groundbreaking for a brand new, state of the art headquarters for Hatzolah, a volunteer ambulance ser- vice with over 150 state cer- tified EMTs, paramedics, and medical doctors that respond to over 1200 emergency calls each month. The new headquar- ters will include a command center, more garages, a new training facility large enough to accommodate all members, and a community education room to promote health and safety awareness. Furthermore, plans for an additional building will help house all the ambulances and the emergency command vehicle. Both Council Member Felder and Mayor Bloomberg recognized the importance of Hatzolah to the community and to the City and they worked closely together, to find a geo- graphically convenient location for the headquarters in order to reduce response time, and to arrange for the sale of the property from the City to Hatzolah. At the event, the Boro Park Hatzolah extended its heartfelt gratitude to all those who have made continued operations, building expansion and the groundbreaking ceremony possible, including Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the New York City Council. Torah Dedication at Madison Torah Center On March 9th, 250 people gathered on East 19th Street between Avenue R and S, at the home of David and Miriam Cohen, for a special Hachnassat Sefer Torah ceremony. The Torah scroll written in the Sephardic tradition was dedicated to the Madison Torah Center, a new synagogue connected with Yeshivat Mikdash Melech, by Abraham and Esther Cohen in memory of their parents, Yaakov and Garaz Cohen, a”h and David and Rachel Shamula, a”h, as well as to the Cohen siblings, a”h. Among the prominent rabbis present were the renowned Rosh Yeshiva of Mikdash Melech, Rabbi Haim Benoliel, Rabbi Abraham Levy of Mill Basin and Rabbi Shmuel Ani of the Madison Torah Center. Rabbi Ani said, “Avraham and Esther Cohen wanted to dedicate a very excellent Sefer Torah in memory of their parents and siblings, yet were not sure where it would be dedicated. They were told by Rabbi Avraham Levy that Hashem will guide them as to where the new home for the Sefer Torah should be. When they heard that the Madison Torah Center needed Sifrei Torah, they so graciously and generously dedicated it to our shul.” Inside the Madison Torah Center, the new Sefer Torah was greeted with splendid fanfare and Rabbi Benoliel spoke about the greatness of the mis- vah of writing a Sefer Torah. –Fern Sidman Junee on the Web Junee Stores, a household name when it comes to modest clothing for women and teens, will be launching a website – www.junees.com – featur- ing the same great dressy and basic year-round clothing for which they are known. After opening three locations within three years, two in Brooklyn and one in the Five Towns area, Jewish women worldwide can now shop Junee via the Internet. The fun and easily navigable website is under way, with lots of the top styles in skirts and sweaters that are made exclusively for Junee stores. The great layering pieces, for which Junee is known, will also be online at fantastic prices. June and David Aboksis, owners of Junee stores, felt that the website would be a great service for the Jewish community world- wide, as tourists from around the world often stop by the stores in search of comfortable modest clothing. Visitors from Baltimore, Seattle, Florida and elsewhere will surely benefit from the site, as camp time rolls around soon and those famous Junee camp skirts become available at the click of a mouse. New Job Seeker Support Group Underway Men in the community who have lost their jobs, been forced to close their businesses, are seeking a career change, are looking for a business partner, or have been thrust into any other situation that has left them feeling alone in their struggle, need not feel that way any longer. After facing such a situation himself recently, Jeffrey Marcus has organized a support group and extended an open invitation to all men in the community. As the recent eco- nomic conditions have proven difficult for many people in the community, who have suddenly been faced with such matters, Marcus felt a supportive environment in which men can identify with one another, open up, and share what they are going through would truly help in a variety of ways. Community Chest Elected officials, community members, Hatzolah members, surround Councilman Felder and Mayor Bloomberg for the groundbreaking . Council Member Simcha Felder invites all Hatzolah volunteers to stand, and invites Mayor Bloomberg to stand also as an honorary Hatzolah member for all the work he did to secure this land for Hatzolah. David Greenfield Executive Director SCF & Ezra Freidlander CEO Freidlander Group Mayor Bloomber presenting a first aid kit to Councilman Simcha Felder Photos by Morris Antebi