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Vol. 71 No. 2
JANUARY 5 - 11, 2023
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Chamber names St. Patrick’s Day grand marshal By MICHAEl MAlASZCZYK mmalaszczyk@liherald.com
Michael Malaszczyk/Herald
Charitable spirit is never-ending Holiday season toy and food drives may be over, but the need for charity is not. Ellie Melendez, director of parish social outreach at Wantagh’s St. Frances de Chantal Catholic Church, is always looking for donations to the church’s pantry as well as its thrift shop.
As the 2023 begins, it’s not too early to prepare for Wantagh’s St. Patrick’s Day parade, and Michael Dunphy, owner of the Wantagh Inn, has been named its grand marshal. Proudly brandishing a picture of his daughter’s college graduation and calling it “Simply the American dream,” Dunphy said he is ready to celebrate being an Irish-American. St. Patrick’s Day is an annual celebration of Irish culture and heritage, and the Wantagh Chamber of Commerce said that Dunphy is well suited to help lead the festivities, having offi-
cially bestowed the honor on him in September. Dunphy is the third person to be honored with the title of grand marshal since the chamber began holding the parade in 2019. The first was John Murray Jr., owner of Mulcahy’s Pub and Concert Hall, and in 2020, Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder was given the honor, although the parade was put on hold for two years due to Covid-19. Murray and Ryder are both Americans of Irish descent, but Dunphy will be the first who was born in Ireland. “We have a lot of residents with Irish heritage here in WantContinued on page 2
Chabad center raises funds for expansion of its preschool By JoRDAN VAlloNE jvallone@liherald.com
The Chabad of Merrick-Bellmore-Wantagh ended 2022 with a bang, raising more than $450,000 in just two days in an online campaign to benefit many of the programs it operates. The Chabad runs a highly regarded preschool, a Hebrew school, and a summer camp out of its Hewlett Avenue location in Merrick. The Chabad, through the Cindy Knoll Circle of Hope, also assists individuals and families impacted by breast cancer and other illnesses, provides food to those in need, and offers several other programs.
It is a nonprofit that is solely responsible for its own budget, Chabad officials said. Rabbi Shimon Kramer, who oversees the Chabad with his wife, Chanie, said typically, they end the year with a large fundraiser that generally benefits their three educational programs, its kosher food bank and Circle of Hope. During the past two years, the Chabad added an extra component to the campaign — to raise money for the expansion of its preschool. The first fundraiser last January drew in more than $500,000 to help jumpstart their visions for the space. The preschool’s administra-
tors want to adopt the Reggio Emilia approach, an Italian philosophy that encourages learning in a non-traditional environment. “We want it to look beautiful — we want it to be outstanding in every way,” Chanie Kramer said. “We want to make it a special place for kids to be able to learn in an optimal environment.” Rabbi Kramer said Chabad’s current classrooms were built with a traditional concept in mind and that the newer rooms will have added touches. The expansion would be internal and not require the actual building on Hewlett Avenue to be made
larger, with some offices to be converted into new classrooms. Chanie Kramer said the classrooms would encourage students to utilize their learning space almost like an additional instructor. “We don’t focus so much on bright, splashy carpets and colorful walls, and things like that,” she said. “The work of the chil-
dren is more of what’s displayed. We set up provocations for the children to get their minds curious, to be engaged, and to want to learn. “We of course have a curriculum,” she added. “But it’s childcentered rather than teachercentered. If the children are interested in exploring a certain Continued on page 4