News From the Hills by Chanita Teitz

 

Susie Garber, a Kew Gardens Hills resident, writer and writing teacher at yeshivas in Queens, the Five Towns, and Brooklyn, has written her fifth book, “Secrets in Disguise,” published by Menucha Publishers. This is a historical novel about World War II, but unlike other Holocaust novels, it does not focus on the atrocities in the concentration camps. It takes a different perspective from this side of the Atlantic and shows us what life was like in Miami in 1942. Through the eyes of the main characters, Fraidy and Miri, we get drawn into an ongoing mystery of 60 years.

We start with Fraidy as a young girl of 12 running on the beach with her best friend. The idyllic time of childhood is interrupted by war and with it food rations, blackouts, German boats trying to infiltrate the U.S., antisemitism in America with signs on the fancy hotels saying “No Jews Allowed,” and U.S. citizens doing their part for the war effort.

The reader also learns about the attack on Pearl Harbor and the Allied soldiers landing on Normandy Beach. Today’s young adult readers need to understand that once the United States entered the war, they fought fiercely to preserve our freedom.

One day an American soldier drops a letter on the beach in Miami and when Fraidy finds it and picks it up she sees German writing on the envelope. What is a German letter doing on an American beach? What was an American soldier doing with the letter in the first place? Fraidy brings the letter home to her parents and her father puts the letter away in their safe. But that letter leads to danger for Fraidy’s parents and, many years later, entangles Miri, too.

Miri is a young journalist in 2014 who goes every week to visit the residents of a nursing home together with her aunt. One of the residents is Mrs. Fraidy Mintz, an elderly and cantankerous resident of the home.

Miri sees an opportunity to interview Mrs. Mintz about growing up in Miami and especially about the war. So, through flashbacks we continue the story of Fraidy and the mystery of the letter. Miri decides that the letter should be brought to the authorities and gets involved in her own dangerous situation.

There are many Jewish themes that are woven throughout the book. For example, chesed towards the American soldiers, tefillah (davening for the soldiers’ safety and the safety of Jews still in Europe), and tzedakah given to the poor. When Fraidy’s cousin and her daughter escape from Europe to America, Fraidy learns what real friendship is, and though she deals with feelings of jealousy, she ultimately learns how to make the new girl in school, her cousin, feel welcome.

The story even touches on shidduchim, and Miri learns that anyone can be a shadchan and you can meet your bashert in the least likely places.

I was kept up at night reading the book, at the edge of my seat, wanting to finish and get the mystery resolved. The characters were relatable and real and I will recommend the book to my granddaughters. Thank you, Susie, for a good read, teaching us that war affects everyone.

Chazaq Tisha B’Av Event Inspires People of All Ages

Tisha B’Av is a day of national mourning on which Jews worldwide grieve over the destruction of both the first and second Batei HaMikdash.

Aside from the restriction of fasting on this solemn day, halachah also puts limitations on Torah learning, for the study of Torah gladdens one’s heart. As such, for over a decade, Chazaq has organized inspirational Tisha B’Av programs at the Beth Gavriel Center in Queens, helping the community get a deeper understanding of what mourning for the Beit HaMikdash is truly all about. Over a dozen speakers are featured and hundreds of people would join throughout the 10-hour marathon.

This year, due to COVID-19, Chazaq had to change gears. Large gatherings were still restricted and an in-person event with hundreds of people was not an option. Thus, the Chazaq team worked tirelessly for several weeks and reached out to scores of prominent rabbanim and speakers in order to present a special online Tisha B’Av event. The finished product featured 26 speakers who delivered short yet powerful messages that were broadcasted to the whole world via Chazaq’s partners at TorahAnytime. After days of advertising and anticipation, there were, baruch Hashem, 129,063 live viewers for this worldwide event. A truly great kiddush Hashem at a time of great challenges.

In addition to the online event, Chazaq’s J-wave Teen division held a special in-person teen program for local public-school students during the afternoon hours of Tisha B’Av.

Many boys and girls attended the event and heard words of inspiration from Chazaq mentors, including Rabbi Moshe Mehdizadeh, Rabbi Avraham Walkin, Rabbi Yaakov Rachimi, and Rabbi Ilan Meirov. Tisha B’Av was the culmination of several weeks of learning about the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash, with many students fasting for the first time, and others taking part by fasting for a portion of the day, a great accomplishment for their personal level. The students learned about the importance of not only eradicating baseless hatred but to also promote more love and friendship amongst each other.

Chazaq’s programs and services for public-school students have made a revolution in Jewish outreach. Although Chazaq is based in Queens, New York, they have successfully transferred over 850 students from public schools to yeshivas in the last three and a half years, with dozens of students residing in New Jersey, Florida, Arizona, and other parts of the United States.

For more information about upcoming Chazaq events and programs, call Chazaq at 718-285-9132 or email info@Chazaq.org.

Upcoming Events

JEP of Queens Yearly Testimonial Breakfast, Sunday, August 30 from 9:30–10:30 a.m. via Zoom. Honoring Moshe and Tammy Bilitzky with the Community Service Award, Yosef and Hindy Howitt with the Amud HaTorah Award, and Harry and Dena Friedman and Moshe and Miriam Steinberg with the Kiruv Rechokim Awards. Make reservations or place an ad at JEPQueens.com, via email at JEPbreakfast@gmail.com, by phone at 718-544-5213, or by fax at 718-793-1206.

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 email chanita@astorbrokerage.com.

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