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and NOVEMBER 30, 2023
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Vol. 71 No. 49
Students give thanks
A powerful display for Israel
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NoVEMBER 30 - DECEMBER 6, 2023
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Jewish teens make their voices heard intersection of Broadcast Plaza and Merrick Avenue, near the Merrick Long Island Rail Road Jewish teenagers from high station on Nov. 22. Rabbis, leadschools and colle ges came ers in the Jewish community together at a rally in Merrick and elected officials joined the last week, in solidarity and sup- students, and several speakers port for Israel amid its ongoing took the stage to pledge their unwavering support for Israel. war against Hamas. “The reason why In the weeks folyo u ’ r e g a t h e r e d lowing the Oct. 7 right here today is at t a ck i n wh i ch because many of us Hamas entered feel surrounded by Israel and killed the darkness in our more than 1,000 schools, our collegpeople, taking hunes and on the dreds captive, Jews streets,” Rabbi Shihave been affected SofIE GlASSMAN mon Kramer, direcby a s t e a d y student, tor of the Chabad increase in anti- East Meadow Center, said. “Your semitism around High School mission is to light the world. the candle for truth Students have particularly witnessed and and for the Jewish people.” The student speakers at the b e e n a f f e c t e d by h at e i n schools. Just a few weeks ago, rally included Sofie Glassman of East Meadow High School; swastikas were found inside of an East Meadow High School Hailey Arnell of Wellington C. classroom — an incident that Mepham High School; Madison joins countless others on Long Lange of John F. Kennedy High School; Liam Schorr, a student Island. At the rally, organized by at Columbia University; and Jodi Turk-Goldberg and Steph- Matthew Pfeffer, a student at anie Arnell, in collaboration Brandeis University. Ryan Kertzner, a student at with the Chabad of Merrickthe University of PennsylvaBellmore-Wantagh, dozens of teenagers from many different nia, gave a performance on guicommunities gathered at the Continued on page 10
By JoRDAN VAlloNE
jvallone@liherald.com
Mike Monahan/Herald
In a Winter Wonderland John Theissen and Christine Roche announcing the raffle winners at Wantagh’s Winter Wonderland Festival last Saturday. It was all smiles at the holiday event, which concluded with a tree-lighting ceremony. Story, more photos, Page 3.
Temple B’nai Torah kids set to perform in ‘Willy Wonka Jr.’ By CHARlES SHAW cshaw@liherald.com
Children at Temple B’nai Torah in Wantagh are building their acting chops, and strengthening their confidence, as they get ready to take the stage for a production of “Willy Wonka Jr.” for four shows in December. The reform congregation will host “Willy Wonka Jr.,” a children’s stage show based on the famous Roald Dahl books about the eccentric candy man and his quest to find an heir through his golden tickets. The play marks the second of two productions the temple hosts each year, and the actors will consist of children ages 6 to 16, who have been practicing their lines and their
songs. “That’s what children’s theater should be about,” Samantha Epstein, director of the production, said. “It’s about learning about the theater, learning about what it takes to put on a show.” Sara Fioribello, 17, choreographer and stage director, is in her eighth year working on shows at the congregation. She said the children have been extraordinary since day one of production, and is impressed with how much they’ve learned their lines before off-book day, which is the day they rehearse without a script in front of them. “The kids are awesome,” Fioribello said. “They really understand their characters, their roles, Continued on page 7
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taying silent is not an option.