Among the 15 victims of the Australia attack was 41-year-old Rabbi Eli Schlanger, a friend Rabbi Hurwitz had known through years of Chabad training in France and Brooklyn.

“He was a joyous, good guy. He was the best of us,” an emotional Rabbi Hurwitz, 38, told The Suffolk Times in an exclusive interview Monday. “A true leader.”

Rabbi Hurwitz — who has led Chabad of North Fork since moving to Mattituck from Crown Heights, Brooklyn, in 2020 — and Rabbi Schlanger forged a bond in their youth, during an incident Rabbi Hurwitz recalled as foreshadowing his friend’s courage.

The two were with a group of religious students in St. Denis, near Paris, when they were chased by a bat-wielding mob while trying to catch the last train.

“Eli was one of the few who didn’t run — he stood up. Even then, he stood up to antisemitism,” Rabbi Hurwitz said.

The news of the deadly assault by a father and son on the other side of the world hit the North Fork hard. Rabbi Hurwitz’s decision to proceed with the menorah lighting triggered support from police, who provided security and even joined in eating sufganiot (jelly donuts) with others who braved the snow-covered sand.

“We have to stand up and stand proud. That’s the only way to deal with this tragedy,” he said. 

The rabbi encouraged participants to wear Stars of David openly, and stressed that “there’s nothing to be embarrassed about. We have thousands of Americans scared of their Judaism, especially out here on the North Fork.”

Riverhead resident Mark Alhadeff, 62, initially wrestled with his own fear before attending the Mattituck menorah lighting.

“There was a lot of crying and being in self-defense mode and hiding,” he said, referring to his initial reaction to the terror attack. “Then I said, ‘No, I’m not going to hide.'”

Mr. Alhadeff was emboldened by Rabbi Hurwitz’s words and immediately went on Amazon to order an eight-foot dreidel, which he will place in his front yard.

“It felt weird. We didn’t know what to expect,” Mr. Alhadeff said. “But it was the happiest place you can imagine. Everyone there was saying the same thing: ‘We’re here in defiance.'”

A Pattern of Attacks

The Bondi Beach attack — which left more than 40 injured, including Rabbi Hurwitz’s cousin Pinny, who was shot in the neck — is the latest in a series of antisemitic incidents in Australia. On Dec. 6, 2024, arsonists attacked the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne, causing significant damage and injuring a congregant. Rabbi Schlanger’s response at that time would prove prophetic.

“Be more Jewish, act more Jewish and appear more Jewish,” he urged his community after the Melbourne fire, according to Rabbi Hurwitz. “Let’s be proud of who we are. Spread light, spread happiness, spread joy — because that prevails in darkness.”

That same message echoed during the Bondi Beach celebration, before Rabbi Schlanger was killed while leading the community’s Hanukkah by the Sea ceremony.

For Rabbi Hurwitz and his family — his wife, Mushky, and their two children — the story of the Maccabees resisting overwhelming odds resonates more than ever in the wake of the senseless slaughter.

“That’s what Hanukkah is about,” the rabbi said. “Standing up to adversity when you’re outnumbered, being proud of who you are, standing tall and being a bright light that spreads righteousness.

“That’s what Eli would have wanted.”

Chabad of North Fork will hold another Hanukkah celebration on Sunday, Dec. 21, at 4:30 p.m. at the Hen-Pecked Husband Farm, 1254 Northville Turnpike in Riverhead.

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Supervisor Tim Hubbard and his fellow Town Board members looked on with pride as the demolition at 127 East Main St. marked a milestone that has been in planning and discussion for nearly 30 years, the supervisor said.

“A project of this scale does not happen without strong partners and significant investment,” said Mr. Hubbard, who exits his role as supervisor at the end of the month. “These dollars are not only an investment in bricks and mortar, but in our downtown Riverhead’s long-term economic health and cultural life.”

Jerry Halpin, who takes over as supervisor next month after defeating Mr. Hubbard by just 37 votes, also lauded the project.

“From here, we’ll do everything we can to make sure that downtown has the best opportunity to be successful,” Mr. Halpin said. “Whether it’s someone who is currently here, or the new businesses that are coming in.”

New York Secretary of State Walter Mosley joined the ceremony, calling the development a model for community revitalization across the state.

The Riverhead Town Square project is the largest effort backed by the state’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative, which provides $10 million grants for community redevelopment.

“We’re now witnessing this community utilizing their DRI to build on its strength while also harnessing its history and its unique charm,” Mr. Mosley said. “They have taken a thoughtful and thorough look at how to carefully curate what the future of this land will look like come this spring.”

He noted that demolishing the 1950s-era building that most recently housed the popular Craft’D bar will open up downtown and create a new gathering space.

“It’s reconnecting this community with its history, its downtown and its waterfront,” Mr. Mosley said. “Because when you honor the past, you learn from the past. And when you learn from the past you are able to make room for innovative thinking and projects that will be transformative, turning a site into a destination that is great to live, work and play.”

Also attending the hour-long event were 1st District Legislator Catherine Stark, state Sen. Anthony Palumbo and Assemblywoman Jodi Giglio, who bundled up against temperatures hovering around 32 degrees on the brisk Peconic waterfront. Former Greenport Village mayor David Kapell was also recognized for pushing downtown revitalization efforts on the East End.

At the end of the countdown, Andy Williams’ Christmas classic “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” played as the luminaries watched the demolition crew begin razing the building.

“When you start to see machinery come in, pavements being torn up and buildings prepared to be torn down you’re actually starting to see what’s happening in real time,” Mr. Mosley said. “The plans you started out in meetings are now being put into action.”

J. Petrocelli Development Associates was tapped to develop a five-story, 78,000-square-foot mixed-use building with up to 80 Hilton Tapestry Collection hotel rooms and 12 condominium units, along with restaurant and retail space and 12 underground parking spots.

The project will also include landscaped green areas, an amphitheater, a children’s playground and pedestrian pathways linking Main Street to the waterfront, according to the town.

Riverhead won the competitive $10 million state grant in 2022 after applying every year since the program launched in 2016.

Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin announced Riverhead and the Village of Amityville as winners during a Zoom meeting with town officials, selecting them from among more than 90 applicants, the Riverhead News-Review previously reported.

The town had previously lost out to other Long Island communities including Westbury, Hicksville, Central Islip and Baldwin.

In addition to the $10 million DRI grant, Empire State Development has given $3.2 million to Riverhead in the last five years for the project through Restore New York and Pro-Housing Communities grants. Riverhead Town also secured a $24 million federal RAISE grant from transportation funding.

“It really is a ‘Hunger Games’ when you think about it,” Mr. Palumbo said as he applauded Gov. Kathy Hochul for bringing the state funds to Riverhead. “I think many people mistake the East End as a place where there’s tremendous wealth, that everyone’s from Hollywood, and those of us that live here realize that that’s not the case. To make this kind of investment in our community is really important.”

Riverhead officials cleared the way for the project in 2021 by tearing down deteriorating structures at 117 and 121 East Main St., located opposite The Suffolk. Removing those buildings opened up sight lines to the Peconic River.

This past September, the town used eminent domain to acquire the Craft’D space, paying the owner a $170,000 settlement. The town has also purchased several additional properties in the area over time.

Once the demolition is completed, Mr. Petrocelli said, subsurface testing and structural analysis of the area will take place before the hotel is built.

That process will begin in the spring and he expects the hotel to be fully completed by 2027.

“It takes generations to change a town; you’re not going to do it overnight,” Mr. Petrocelli said Friday. “Once we have another attraction, now our destination gets bigger and I think the hotel is about bringing people here.”

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The money will help markets improve infrastructure, boost marketing and add delivery options. The program, funded in Gov. Kathy Hochul’s budget, is intended to strengthen the state’s local food supply chain.

This round adds a requirement that recipients set aside part of their awards for sub-grants to farmers markets or vendors in their region through an open application process. Organizations can apply for between $100,000 and $200,000, explaining how they will distribute the funds to market locations.

A second track — offering $200,000 in direct grants to farmers markets without the sub-grant requirement — will be announced in the coming months. State officials say the two-tiered structure is meant to reach smaller markets.

“We learned during the pandemic that we needed to have a reliable food system right here at home,” Mr. Ball said in the Dec. 4 announcement. “Through three rounds of this program, we’ve seen progress on projects that are helping our farmers and producers reach more consumers.”

The Department of Agriculture and Markets supports more than 400 farmers markets, 250 farm stands and 10 mobile market operators statewide. Round 3 awards, totaling more than $1.12 million, were announced earlier this year.

Applications are due by Feb. 4, 2026, at 3 p.m. A webinar about the program is scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 11, at 12:30 p.m. More information is available on the department’s website.

The grant program is part of broader state investments in agriculture, including Nourish New York, the 30% New York State Initiative for school meals and the Regional School Food Infrastructure Grant Program, which will provide $50 million over five years for regional cooking facilities.

To find out eligibility criteria and how to apply, click here.

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Erik A. Yatvelasquez, 22, was driving a 2015 Jeep north on County Road 104 when he sideswiped a 2005 Chevrolet SUV, crossed the double yellow line and veered into an oncoming 2015 Lexus SUV, Southampton Town Police officials told the Riverhead News-Review on Monday.

A 60-year-old female passenger in the Lexus was rushed to Peconic Bay Medical Center with internal injuries, fractures and dislocations, according to police. She underwent multiple surgeries and has since been transferred to another area hospital for additional surgery, police added.

Mr. Yatvelasquez suffered “significant mouth injuries” and was airlifted by Suffolk County Police medevac to Stony Brook University Hospital, according to police.

He was charged with driving while intoxicated shortly after the crash, police said.

The driver of the Lexus and the two people in the Chevy were also taken to PBMC with non-life-threatening injuries, police said. The passenger in Mr. Yatvelasquez’s car was not hurt in the crash.

After the initial 911 call at about 7:44 p.m. on Saturday, Southampton patrol units, the department’s Community Response Unit and New York State Police troopers responded to the crash, about a half-mile from the intersection with CR-105.

Ambulances from Flanders Northampton, Westhampton Beach and East Quogue also rushed to the scene, along with the Flanders Fire Department.

Both lanes of CR-104 were shut down between the traffic circle at CR-31 and CR-105. The road reopened shortly after midnight on Sunday, Nov. 30.

Detectives investigated the crash with the New York State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit and Forensic Identification Unit.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Southampton Town Police detectives at 631-702-2230.

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The 35-year-old water park in Calverton will team up with Little Flower Children and Family Services of New York, which has served children, youth and families with disabilities across New York City and Long Island since 1929.

Giving Tuesday, a global charitable giving day that follows Black Friday and Cyber Monday, falls on Dec. 2 this year.

“Through our partnership with Splish Splash, we can create the summer of a lifetime for each child in our residential and foster care programs,” said Little Flower president and CEO Corinne Hammons.

Splish Splash, which will re-open Saturday, May 23, 2026 with an extra week of operating days, will bring back its popular Neon Nights after-dark event select Fridays and Saturdays in July and August, park officials said. The event debuted last year.

Other highlights include Kids Fest, Father’s Day Flop, Hero Appreciation week, Touch-a-Truck Day and a celebration for America’s 250th anniversary.

Splish Splash is offering Black Friday season pass deals with discounts up to $50 on select passes. Perks include free parking, free admission to Neon Nights, and discounts on food and retail.

The park features more than 30 water slides and attractions, two wave pools, kiddie areas and a lazy river. It added Stingray Bay last season, a water playground with more than 15 features.

Payment plans start at $14 per month.

For more information, visit splishsplash.com.

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Let me back up. On the first day of starting this new job, the latch on the storm door to our house broke, locking me inside. After furiously jiggling the handle to no avail, the only exits were out the back or through the garage. A window would have been another option.

I chose the garage since it’s the quickest path to the driveway – and I stopped climbing out of windows after high school. The problem is that the garage door tends to slam down if not completely thrown open.

Hence the poor chipmunk, who unwittingly made a dash for the garage at the exact moment the half-lifted wooden door thudded against the pavement.

I probably had better odds of hitting the Mega Millions jackpot than finding the furry critter’s lifeless body splayed on the threshold when I came home.

What does this have to do with being the new editor of The Suffolk Times and Riverhead News-Review? Well, I believe interesting stories can sprout from even the most mundane incidents.

My goal is to serve up a mix of content – online, in print and on our social media channels – that will engage, enlighten and, hopefully, entertain our readership.

We can use a little levity in these tumultuous times.

There are many serious concerns facing North Fork residents, most notably the upcoming local elections. In my short time here, I have met with civic, education and business leaders for a crash course on some hot-button issues.

Chief among them is the endless friction between development and the preservation of the area’s agricultural roots.

There’s a shortage of “workforce housing,” as one longtime pillar of the community recently told me, making it harder for businesses to attract and retain fresh blood.

The dearth of housing – affordable or otherwise – threatens the continued growth of this region, several of them made clear.

Younger families are priced out. Some schools are feeling the impact as enrollment shrinks.

There will be no Friday night lights for the Mattituck/Southold/Greenport varsity football team this season, as The Suffolk Times reported, after the Porters couldn’t find enough kids to field a 16-person squad.

The terrific team I inherit will tackle this difficult topic and countless others to provide the vital coverage the North Fork has grown to depend on.

We will also strive to highlight the many people who have a positive impact on their communities – from farmers to baymen and everyone in between.

That’s my promise to you – and that poor chipmunk.

Eddie Glazarev is editor of The Suffolk Times and Riverhead News-Review. He can be reached at eglazarev@timesreview.com.

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