_______ Malverne/West HeMpstead ______
CommUNItY UPDAtE Infections as of July 19
6,103
Infections as of July 12 6,099
$1.00
HERALD
W.H. trustees are sworn in
Seal of Biliteracy honorees
Annual block party in lakeview
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Vol. 28 No. 30
JUlY 22 - 28, 2021
Re-engaging congregants Eitz Chayim of Dogwood Park earns grant from Orthodox Union By NAkEEm GrANt ngrant@liherald.com
Christina Daly/Herald
lots more fun than a haircut Jiovani Torres, 4, left, Mason Clinton, 8, and Julian Torres, 7, enjoyed the bouncy house during Gotham Barbershop’s grand opening in West Hempstead last Saturday. More photos, Page 9.
Finding ways to get congregants re-engaged with a synagogue as coronavirus-related safety restrictions have loosened in recent months has been a challenge for Eitz Chayim of Dogwood Park, in West Hempstead. Bracha Rutner, a member of Eitz Chayim’s adult education committee, said that many congregants were still nervous about returning in person. “Like many other synagogues, it was a big loss in our lives when we were forced to close,” Rutner recalled. “When there were talks about the syna-
gogue reopening, we were very interested in supporting whatever needed to be done in order to reopen with all of the safety requirements.” Eitz Chayim of Dogwood Park was among 35 synagogues in the U.S. to receive a grant from the Orthodox Union, the nation’s oldest and largest umbrella organization for the North American Orthodox Jewish community. The O.U. has awarded $100,000 in grants to synagogues in an effort to bring communities back to shul as more people are vaccinated against Covid-19. “People began to look at synaContinued on page 15
Taste of West Hempstead to highlight local eateries By NAkEEm GrANt ngrant@liherald.com
As NYC Restaurant Week kicked off in New York City on Monday, the West Hempstead Chamber of Commerce plans to hold a similar event of its own, Taste of West Hempstead, July 25-31. It will highlight a number of eateries in the community, with the hope of promoting local business. “We’re hoping that this will give people the chance to sample some of the vendors that we have,” Chamber of Commerce President Marshall Myers said. Myers added that he had hoped the chamber could launch
the event last summer, but the coronavirus pandemic forced the group to postpone it. With many local businesses still suffering from the effects of the pandemic, he said, the weeklong focus on restaurants will be even more relevant. “As things are approaching a better state of normalcy, people need to be aware of the local businesses that are available to them,” Myers said. “We want to make sure that the money they’re spending is staying within the community.” Myers and chamber Vice President Sagine Pierre-Charles will visit a different restaurant each day (see box) and record a
short video to highlight it on social media. Each restaurant will have special offers throughout the week. Pierre-Charles, owner of Sage & Angie Boutique, said that because West Hempstead doesn’t have a downtown area like Malverne or Rockville Centre, it’s a bit more difficult to create a feeling of togetherness in the community. “This is a great opportunity for us to bring residents together and patronize the local restaurants in the community,” she said. “There are some fabulous restaurants in West Hempstead, so why not take the time to Continued on page 14
touring W.H.’s restaurants reisterer’s Bakery, 282 Hempstead Ave. Cherry Valley Deli, 168 Hempstead Tpk. raxx Pool room, 510 Hempstead Tpk. Sauley’s Pizza, 239 Nassau Blvd. Gino’s Pizza, 619 Woodfield Road