The Nibble

🚇 All Aboard the Future: MTA’s New Open Gangway Trains Are Here! 🚇

On Tuesday, the MTA debuted its first-ever open gangway train on the G line at Church Avenue station in Brooklyn, and let's just say—it’s serving major futuristic vibes. With brighter lights, a snazzy new interior, and a spacious feel, these trains are designed to make your ride smoother, safer, and a lot more Instagram-worthy.

But the real star of the show? The open gangway design! 🚶‍♂️➡️🚶‍♀️ For the uninitiated, that means you can freely, safely, and legally walk between cars without those awkward door maneuvers. Think of it like an articulated bus but on rails, complete with a movable-panel floor that lets you straphang your way from one end to the other. The new R211T models also sport wider doors, improved lighting, and digital screens showing real-time train info—because who doesn’t love a good glow-up?

And it’s not just about looks—these trains are packing serious upgrades. Expect better cameras with seven different viewpoints (for maximum safety), larger doors for faster boarding, and a level of reliability that will hopefully make “train traffic ahead of us” a thing of the past.

🍽️ Outdoor Dining Just Got a Glow-Up! 🍽️

Good news, foodies! NYC DOT Commissioner just announced a major red tape cut to help restaurants speed through the outdoor dining application process. Starting April 1, nearly 3,000 sidewalk and roadway setups will be serving your favorite bites al fresco—no more waiting for endless approvals! The city’s sending out hundreds of letters with conditional green lights to restaurants that have passed public hearings, making sure your go-to spots are ready as soon as the weather warms up. 🌞

With a whopping 3,800 Dining Out NYC applications from over 3,000 restaurants, the program is more than double the size of pre-COVID times. Sidewalk setups can operate year-round, while roadway setups can roll out from April 1 to November 29. the Commissioner says outdoor dining has made NYC streets more “vibrant and welcoming,” and with smoother approvals on the menu, your favorite patio spots will be ready for spring sipping in no time. Cheers to that! 🥂 For More info click here.

🗽 Civic Spotlight: Keeping You Informed

🌍$5 Billion at Stake! Your Vote in the World Zionist Congress Matters!

📣 Attention! From March 10 to May 4, 2025, you’ve got the power to shape the future—no cape required! 🦸‍♂️🦸‍♀️ It’s time to vote for your delegates to the 39th World Zionist Congress (WZC), famously known as the “parliament of the Jewish people.” Why does this matter? Well, this election decides how a whopping $5 billion will be distributed across Israel and Jewish communities worldwide for the next five years! 💸

With one-third of the delegates coming from the U.S., a strong voter turnout is like sending a bold RSVP to influence policies on Israeli society, religious pluralism, and global Jewish life. Your vote is your voice—let’s make it loud and clear! 🗳️

Registration and voting open on March 10, 2025—mark your calendars! 🗓️ And, of course, it’s always wise to check with your Rav about whether and how to vote. For more info click here

🚦 Slow Down, NYC! New Traffic Safety Campaign Hits the Streets 🚦

The NYC Department of Transportation is turning up the volume on traffic safety with a new Vision Zero campaign that’s hard to miss! The Commissioner just announced that 1,000 street light poles across the city will soon be sporting eye-catching banners reminding drivers to hit the brakes and look out for pedestrians and cyclists. The campaign is all about the "Three Es"—Engineering, Education, and Enforcement—backed by a whopping $4.7 billion budget to redesign streets, boost traffic law enforcement, and spread the word on safe driving. From speed cameras to redesigned intersections, NYC is serious about making streets safer for everyone!

And it’s working! Traffic deaths dropped last year, and the message is getting through—especially to male drivers aged 25-54, with 81% admitting the campaign made them more responsible behind the wheel. So, if you spot those banners, take the hint: slow down, stay alert, and help make NYC streets safer for all! 🛑🚴‍♀️🚶‍♂️

🏛️Plot Twist in Brooklyn Politics: The Seat Swap Saga

Looks like Brooklyn politics just got a lot more interesting! Former NYC Council Member Ari Kagan, who switched from Team Blue 🧢to Team Red in 2022, might be making a comeback. Word on the street is that Kagan has set his sights on the District 48 City Council seat, currently held by Inna Vernikov. But don’t expect a conservative clash just yet—Republican leaders are playing a game of political musical chairs🪑, with seat swaps between city and state positions. NYC Council Minority Leader Joann Ariola hinted that Kagan's official decision will drop in April, just in time for Vernikov’s potential run for state Senate. Talk about keeping us on the edge of our seats!👥

🕵️Meanwhile, Brooklyn's GOP is on a roll, flipping seats and gaining ground in neighborhoods from Brighton Beach to Bensonhurst. With support growing among Latino, Asian, and Russian-speaking communities, the Republicans are turning southern Brooklyn into their stronghold. GOP Chairman Richard Barsamian called the surge a “mandate of common sense and reality”—and with all the plot twists😮, we’re definitely staying tuned!

Brooklyn Community Board 14 monthly board meeting🗳️

All are welcome to join Brooklyn Community Board 14 on the evening of Monday, March 10, 2025 for the monthly board meeting. Join in person at the East Midwood Jewish Center, 1625 Ocean Avenue, Brooklyn. You may watch the meeting live or on-demand anytime on YouTube. The meeting agenda can be found on CB14's website found here.✅

What's up

Fundraiser Focus 🎁

Motzai Shabbos March 29, 2025

Aishel Shabbat Auction | Kol Yaakov Hall | 1703 McDonald Ave | 8:30 pm | More info here

🎬 Events 👋

Sunday 3/9/2025

👩For women only 👩 | Ratzon Music Studios (Malky Giniger) | Brooklyn Concert | Magen David Hall | 2130 McDonald Ave | 7:30pm | $$ | Tickets can be purchased here

Monday 3/17/2025

👩For women only 👩| Shaindy Plotzker LIVE 2025 2nd Show - Benefiting EFRAT | Mon Mar 17, 2025 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM EDT | Kings Theatre 1027 Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn | | $$ 🎭| Click here

Sunday 3/23/2025

FREE Aviation Class | At the JCC Library | 3415 Quentin Rd | 6:30 - 8pm EDT | 9 Sessions | Boys Ages 12-16 | For more info click here

Chazzanus & Classics (benefitting Misaskim) | Oceana Theater | 1029 Brighton Beach Ave | Separate Seating | 7:00pm | $$ | Tickets can be purchased here

Nothing in this section is sponsored. They're just the things you need to know. I'll always let you know when something's sponsored.

Lectures 🎤

Thursday 3/6/2025

📜 Mishmar | Agudah of Madison | 2122 Ave. S (Ave S & East 22) | 10:00 pm

Rabbi Frand | Parsha Ha’Shavua | Y.I. of Midwood | 1694 Ocean Ave | 9:00 pm

Saturday 3/8/2025

Rabbi Yisroel Reisman | Ahi Ezer Cong | Corner Ocean Parkway & Ave S | 8:00 pm

Calendar🗓️

Friday 3/7/2025 - ז' אדר

Some people fast

Shabbos 3/8/2025 - פרשת זכור🤔

Parashas Zechor

Thursday 3/13/2025 - תענית אסתר

🕯️Yom Hillula 🕯️

3/7/2025 - ז' אדר

משה רבנו

3/9/2025 - ט' אדר

Ha’Rav Shmuel Auerbach (9/21/1931 - 2/24/2018) (aged 86) the eldest son of Shlomo Zalman Auerbach and his wife, Chaya Rivka Ruchamkin.

Born in the Shaarei Chesed neighborhood of Jerusalem, the eldest son of Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach.

Rav Mordechai Meisel, the Parnes of Prague, a great Jewish philanthropist who saved many Jewish lives in pogroms (1601).

3/11/2025 - י"א אדר

 החיד"א הקדוש

3/13/2025 - י"ג אדר (תענית אסתר)

Rabbi Yehuda the Hassid (1140-1217) Age 77

He was the son of Rabbi Shmuel the Hasid , the grandson of Rabbi Klonimos the Elder and a descendant of the Klonimos family , which migrated from Italy to Germany in the 10th century . It is believed that Rabbi Yehuda the Hassid wrote several Seforim, but due to his modesty he forbade his name to be mentioned in them, and therefore it is difficult to identify them. The best-known work attributed to him (although the book is not signed with his name) is Sefer Hasidim

Ha’Rav Moshe Feinstein (March 3, 1895 – March 23, 1986) (ז' באדר ה'תרנ"ה - י"ג באדר ב' ה'תשמ"ו)

Halacha

📖Kitzur ShulchanAruch Siman 72 📖

Even though he has many servants, it is a mitzvah for every person to do something himself in honor of Shabbos, in order to honor it, as was the custom of Amoraim. Rav Chisda used to cut the vegetables very fine, Rabba and Rav Yosef used to chop wood [for cooking], and Rav Zeira used to light the fire. Rav Nachman used to put the house in order, and would bring in the vessels needed for Shabbos and remove the weekday vessels. Everyone should learn from them and not say "I will not blemish my honor," for by honoring the Shabbos, he honors himself.

It is the custom among Jews everywhere, to bake breads (Challos) at home in honor of Shabbos. Certainly if on weekdays you eat bread from a non-Jewish (kosher) bakery, you should take care to eat bread baked in a Jewish bakery on the holy day of Shabbos. But even if on weekdays you eat bread from a Jewish bakery, nevertheless, in honor of Shabbos, the bread should be baked at home to give the woman of the house the opportunity to fulfill the mitzvah of separating challah. This is especially important for the woman because Adam was created on Erev Shabbos (Friday) and he was the challah of the world. The woman (Eve), through her sin caused him to lose (much of his spiritual greatness); she, therefore, must rectify this loss (through the mitzvah of challah). Three challahs should be made: a large one, a medium one, and a small one. The medium one for the evening meal, the large one for the daytime meal, to show that the honor of the daytime meal is of greater importance; and the small one for the third meal.

Kitzur Shulchan Aruch, trans. Rabbi Avrohom Davis, Metsudah Pub., 1996, Digitization: Sefaria, License: CC-BY

📰 Weather 🥸

Thursday | Partly sunny, with a high near 54.

Thursday Night | 🌥️Partly cloudy, with a low around 35.

🌞Friday | Sunny, with a high near 51.

Friday Night | Mostly cloudy, with a low around 38.

Saturday | Mostly 😎sunny, with a high near 46.

Saturday Night | Partly cloudy, with a low around 31.

Sunday | Mostly sunny, with a high near 46.🌞

Sunday Night | Partly cloudy, with a low around 33.🌥️

Monday | Sunny, with a high near 49.

Monday Night | Mostly clear, with a low around 37.

National Weather Service