[By Daniel Perez

Queens College’s Colden Auditorium was filled to capacity for the second year running�as local Jewish outreach organization Chazaq held it’s 4th Annual Big Event. Living up to its�name, everything about the event was �big,� from the size of the audience (over 2,000 in�attendance), to the high-profile personalities involved, to the Torah concepts invoked by the�evening’s speakers.

The borough’s leadership was well represented, with New York State Assemblymen�Michael Simanowitz and David Weprin, New York State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky, and City�Council Members Karen Koslowitz and Rory Lancman all making personal appearances. Also�in attendance were representatives of Congresswoman Grace Meng, Queens Borough�President Melinda Katz, and New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer. The presenters also�included U.S. Senator Chuck �Shomer Yisrael� Schumer (his second consecutive�appearance); even Mayor Bill de Blasio himself stopped by!

�Chazaq is such a wonderful and extraordinary organization,� declared de Blasio, �and�the impact you have made… It is so important to support Chazaq because you have touched�so many lives and you’ve strengthened the community in so many ways.� The Mayor went on�to extol the various social, cultural, and religious programs hosted by Chazaq, and to discuss,�with a sense of gratitude, the contributions of the Jewish immigrant population to the greater�New York community. Even as de Blasio struggled with Hebrew phrases like �chag sameach,��(�happy holiday,� in reference to the upcoming festival of Passover) one couldn’t help being�charmed by the earnestness of his effort.

After the mayor’s thoughtful opening address, an invocation of sorts was offered by�HaRav HaGaon Yitzchak Yisraeli, the newly-appointed head rabbi and posek (religious legal�authority) of New York’s Sephardic-Bukharian community. In addition to opening the�proceedings with a reading of Tehillim�standard at such events�the Rav proceeded to�include the recitation of Shema, the fundamental Jewish declaration of faith, and of assorted�verses declaring the sovereignty of G-d. A sort of messianic fervor filled the room as, on the�screen behind Rav Yisraeli, animations played featuring inspirational (or perhaps more�accurately, aspirational) imagery of the Temple in Jerusalem. The rabbi concluded by offering�words of blessing for Chazaq’s founder and director, Rabbi Ilan Meirov, as well as his brother�(and Chazaq’s head of operations) Reb Yaniv Meirov�all to thunderous applause.

While local legislators and government executives shed light on the social and cultural�significance of Chazaq’s diverse program offerings, and Rav Yitzchak Yisraeli endowed the�event with an overarching sense of holiness, anchoring the line-up of esteemed orators were

Rabbi Dr. Avraham Twerski and Charlie Harary, a prominent investor-turned-motivational�speaker�well known, in other words, as both a supporter of Chazaq and a giver of chizzuq.�Twerski and Harary both captivated the crowd with Passover-themed words of Torah wisdom,�given in their own inimitable styles.

Rabbi Twerski, a noted psychologist and author, discussed the concept of freedom in�the context of the approaching Passover holiday. He drew from his own experience helping�addicts break free from their addictions to explain what it means to be �enslaved� in a spiritual�sense. It is freedom of the spirit, explains Twerski, rather than political independence which is�at the core of Pesach. This, in turn, can reconcile the seemingly conflicting notions of Pesach�as �The Season of our Freedom,� and a lengthy, complicated observance preceded by weeks�of preparation, often including harsh household labor.

Following the keen insights of Rabbi Dr. Twerski, radio show host Charlie Harary�analyzed the concept of �Amalek,� whose memory Jews are religiously obligated to erase…by�remembering it on a designated Sabbath before Purim each year. Rather than identifying�Amalek with a specific tribe, he describes this implacable enemy of the Jewish way of life as a��virus,� one that infects the mind by fostering doubt as to G-d’s presence or love for His�people.

Amid these divrei chizuq were moving musical performances by Rabbi Avi Kilimnick�and Yeshiva University’s a cappella viral video sensation The Maccabeats. Prior to their�concert (one of the main draws of the Big Event produced by VZ productions) and between�speeches, group member Eytan gave a brief solo performance, including a heartfelt rendition�of the song �No More,� a heartfelt tribute to Naftali Fraenkel, Gilad Shaer, and Eyal Yifrah,�three teenaged Israeli yeshiva students who were abducted and murdered by terrorists in�2014. After a brief address by Senator Schumer, the entire group took the stage and offered�rousing renditions of popular Jewish songs, including their own holiday-themed parodies of�contemporary hits. A fitting conclusion to an evening of inspiration that was one hit after�another after another.

“This year’s big Chazaq event was, Baruch HaShem, a great success,” reflected�operations manager Yaniv Meirov. “People were inspired and entertained. It was a big�Kiddush HaShem (sanctification of the Divine name). But now we must focus on continuing�our work with in the community on a smaller scale.� This, Meirov explained, means �doing�more for local Jewish public school students.�

�We attract and inspire many boys and girls throughout the year, some of whom we�successfully put in yeshiva, and many that have sincerely changed their way of life in positive�and spiritually uplifting ways. But there are so many more kids to work with. And to do that we�need the community’s continuous support, as this is truly a matter of pikuach nefesh (saving�lives).� For more information about CHAZAQ please visit chazaq.org or email�[email protected]

Photo Credits: Aaron Katz, Gabe Solomon, Amity Studio, and Shimon Gifter