Community Magazine December 2019

82 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE A suspect wanted in the recent string of egging attacks against Hasidic Jews in Boro Park was arrested last month. The NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force (HTCF) made the announcement on Twitter saying “APPREHENDED!!! HCTF has arrested an 18-year-old male in connection with multiple anti-Semitic egg throwing assaults.” Mohib Hoquq, 18-years-old, residing at 115 Avenue C in Brooklyn, was arrested and charged with: • Hate Crime Assault (3 Counts) • Hate Crime Aggravated Harassment (3 Counts) • Hate Crime Harassment in the 1st Degree (3 Counts) • Hate Crime/Reckless Endangerment in the 2nd Degree The NYPD is still looking for additional suspects wanted in at least five separate attacks, including one where an egg was thrown inside a shul whose door had been opened. Other attacks included a mother who was walking with her young child. Much information that led to the identity of the suspect(s), including video footage of the attacks, as well as license plate numbers in recent attacks, was secured by the dedicated volunteers of Boro Park Shomrim, who worked diligently alongside police. Last month, Magen David Yeshivah High School had the honor of welcoming IDF Soldiers Niv Keshet and Elior Dor to speak with their juniors and seniors about their experiences in the Israeli army and the current situation in Israel. Students were enraptured by their stories and had many poignant questions. The soldiers proceeded to make the students proud by presenting pins to a few of the MDY alumni who served in the IDF after graduating, marking their gratitude. Coby Sabbagh, Class of 2010, Gabi Peretz, Class of 2012, and Yoni Hadar, Class of 2014, then spoke to the kids about ways they could serve, even as students today. Last month, Hacham Yitzhak Yosef came to the United States for a chatunah and visited many Sephardic yeshivot and synagogues around the Tri-State area, giving the community chizuk , and delivering many shiurim . Hacham Yitzhak Yosef also visited Yeshivas Be’er Hagolah together with the head of the vaad hachinuch of Be’er Hagolah, Harav Elya Brudny, Rosh Yeshiva of the Mir Be’er Hagolah educates more than 430 Sephardic children from Brooklyn and Queens, and it was a great privilege for the students to be in the presence of these two gedolei Torah . During the tour of the classrooms, Hacham Yitzhak was moved to tears as he watched the young children sing shiviti Hashem lenegdi tamid . At an assembly, the Dean of Be’er Hagolah, Rav Mordechai German, introduced Hacham Yitzhak Yosef, who is the author of more than 20 volumes of Yalkut Yosef , as a walking sefer Torah . Hacham Yitzhak told the students of a time when he met the Russian President Vladimir Putin, who asked him how is it that all of the ancient civilizations such as the Greeks and Romans are gone, but the Jewish people are thriving. The Hacham answered him by quoting Rav Saadiah Gaon, who said that the Jews are a nation only by merit of us having the Torah. The Torah is our life force, which constantly breathes into us a renewed energy and makes us grow. Hacham Yitzhak told the students that everyone has a cheilek in Torah, and that they are so fortunate to be in this yeshiva. As the students filed by, Hacham Yitzhak gave hundreds of personal berachot to each and every child. Afterwards, Hacham Yitzhak met with Lakewood Rosh Yeshiva, Hagaon HaRav Malkiel Kotler, at a melava malka in Flatbush in what is being called a “historic meeting.” The Lakewood Rosh Yeshiva spent Shabbat Lech Lecha in the Brooklyn community, delivering many shiurim and speaking at many of the Sephardic synagogues in the community – including Shaare Zion. co mm unity HIGHL IGHTS Anti-Semite Arrested: NYPD Take Boro Park “Egging” Suspect into Custody Magen David Yeshivah High School Welcomes IDF Soldiers Sephardic Chief Rabbi Hacham Yitzhak Yosef Visits Community Yeshivot and Synagogues in Brooklyn Hacham Yitzhak Yosef visiting the Yeshiva of Flatbush. Hacham Yitzhak Yosef with Lakewood Rosh Yeshiva, HaRav Malkiel Kotler. (L-R) Coby Sabbagh, Gabi Peretz, and Yoni Hadar.