__________________ Merrick _________________
HERALD $1.00 $1.00
Police respond to bank robbery
Chabad to hold Hanukkah parade
Historical Society leader dies at 89
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Vol. 24 No. 46
NoVEMBER 11 - 17, 2021
Hochul signs public water legislation historically high rates charged by New York American Water could be reduced through a pubGov. Kathy Hochul has signed lic takeover of the system, and legislation that opens a pathway these new public water authorifor the public takeover of New ties give the local governments York American Water, signaling the legal vehicle they need to that rate relief for pursue the public the private water option.” c o m p a ny ’s m a ny In June, the bill ratepayers in Bellpassed unanimously more, Merrick and in the State Legislao t h e r Tow n o f ture by counts of Hempstead commu63-0 in the Senate nities may be on the and 149-0 in the way. Assembly. Hochul signed the “Water is perhaps bill on Nov. 3, the day the most essential after the election, citresource for life, and ing NYAW’s high JoHN BRookS as such should never rates as the reason to be a commodity for move the legislation State senator corporate profit,” forward. The legislaSen. John Brooks, a tion clears the way major co-sponsor of the bill, said for the public acquisition of in a statement. “For years, we NYAW’s operations, to be have been trying to implement a replaced by a South Shore Water practical solution to the exorbiAuthority, whose members will tant rates that American Water be named by the Nassau County customers have been forced to Legislature and the Hempstead pay for basic water services. Town Board. A North Shore Today we have made significant Water Authority would replace progress towards that becoming NYAW’s operations in the Town a reality. I am proud to have of Oyster Bay. sponsored this bill, and I thank “Water is a necessity that Governor Hochul for her supevery New Yorker should have port on this key issue for our easy, affordable access to,” Hochul said in a statement. “The Continued on page 13
By ANDREW gARCiA agarcia@liherald.com
W
Jordan Vallone/Herald
At CoNgREgAtioN oHAV Shalom on Sunday, Rabbi Heshy Pincus, a renowned sofer — a traditional Jewish scribe — completed the final 100 letters of a new Sefer Torah, in memory of Merrick resident Samuel Adwar.
A celebration of life and faith at Congregation Ohav Shalom
By JoRDAN VAlloNE jvallone@liherald.com
It was a day of faith, family and community last Sunday, as Congregation Ohav Shalom, in Merrick, celebrated the arrival and completion of a new Sefer Torah. The Torah — which took more than a year to complete — was given to the synagogue by the family of Samuel Adwar, a longtime Merrick resident and congregation member who died last year at 85.
“The Torah scroll is one of the most sacred objects in Jewish ritual,” Rabbi Ira Ebbin explained. “It is written meticulously by a scribe with a quill — the parchment is cowhide. It has been this way for thousands of years. “It has to be written by an expert scribe,” Ebbin went on. “It takes nearly a year to complete. This particular scroll was written in Israel, picked by the [Adwar family].” The Sefer Torah — which
means “Book of the Torah” — is the Jewish bible, comprising the five books of Moses. It contains more than 600,000 letters that must be handwritten by a Jewish scribe, known as a sofer, according to Ebbin. Though this particular Torah was started in Israel, R abb i H e s hy P i n c u s, a renowned sofer from Brooklyn, completed roughly the last 100 letters in front of a joyous, grateful and receptive congregation of Merrick and Continued on page 3
e have lived for too long a time with excessive [water] rates.