Any serious student of history will recognize that there are moments, all too rare, when a door stands open, waiting for a person, a people, or even the entire world to walk through, and change life as we know it, forever. more

August 11 Birthday Shabbat For children who celebrate their Jewish birthday in Elul. Meet at Chabad to celebrate your special day with friends, and family. Cake will be served. Place: Chabad, 74 Maple Avenue, Cedarhurst Time: After Morning Services Info: 516-295-2478 or www.chabad5towns.com more

Last Thursday the United Nations completed the journey it began in November 1974 when it invited a mass-murderer born and raised in Egypt to speak to its General Assembly. At the time, Yasser Arafat said he brought with him an olive branch of peace, and a gun. To the day he died, Arafat turned down every opportunity to use the olive branch, but never skipped a chance to use the gun. more

Following a request from New York State, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved an extension to April 13 for Hurricane Sandy survivors to apply for disaster assistance with FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). more

Jewish crime-fighting volunteers in London met over the weekend with Muslim leaders and agreed to patrol mosques and other Islamic buildings to reduce anti-Muslim hate crimes. more

In a closed door meeting with the Senate Banking Committee last Wednesday, Secretary of State John Kerry, Vice President Joe Biden, and officials from the State and Treasury departments provided a briefing on the talks to halt the Iranian nuclear program and to urge the committee to back away from any discussion of new sanctions. more

The Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns and Rockaway (HAFTR) will honor its four heads of school, at its 36th Annual Dinner on motzai Shabbat, Feb. 22. more

On June 1, when Achiezer hosts its sole annual fundraiser, our Far Rockaway-Bayswater/Five Towns community will join together in support of an organization that operates 24/7, 365 days a year, an organization that serves every need, of every community member; because every person matters. more

If only every problem was so easy to fix. Nassau County Executive Mangano last week conceded a significant goof by his transportation officials in their implementation of new speed cams near schools. more

Baseball Hall-of-Famers Hank Greenberg and Sandy Koufax are household names both in their sport and in the pantheon of Jewish professional athletes. But why has … more