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VOL. 61 NO. 4
JANUARY 22 - 28, 2026
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As ice breaks, a captain acts By ABIGAIL GRIECO agrieco@liherald.com
Courtesy Village of Island Park
Island Park Fire Department Captain Joe Bitetto, fifth from left, was honored for his bravery and lifesaving instincts at the Jan. 15 Island Park village board meeting.
Even when he was on vacation, Island Park Fire Department Captain Joe Bitetto’s instinct to protect others never took a break. Bitetto, a Barnum Isle resident, was walking across Mirror Lake, in upstate Lake Placid, with his fiancé, Me gan Walsh, on Dec. 20, watching dogsleds race around the lake. As they were making their way across the ice, a family of three just steps ahead of them suddenly fell through the ice near CONTINUED ON PAGE 11
O’side Temple Avodah marks MLK legacy with Shabbat service By ABIGAIL GRIECO agrieco@liherald.com
Temple Avodah, in Oceanside, commemorated the life and le g acy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a Shabbat service last Friday that blended prayer, music and reflection, urging congregants to consider both the nation’s pro g ress and the work that remains in fulfilling King’s dream. The service drew worshippers of all ages for prayer, storytelling and song. Led by R abb i Je s h aya h u ( S h a i ) Beloosesky and cantorial soloist Steven Wagner, the eve-
ning blended Jewish tradition with the moral language of the civil rights movement, linking ancient scripture to a modern struggle. The Shabbat coincided with Parashat Va’era, a portion of the Torah centered on the Israelites’ exodus from s l ave r y i n E g y p t . A s Beloosesk y explained, the story of liberation is not confined to the past. Redemption, he told the congregation, is both a divine promise and a human obligation. “The parsha is about redemption — the redemption of the Israelites from Egypt,”
he said. “And Martin Luther King Jr. also had a dream of redemption — the redemption of American society.” Just as Moses car ried a message of freedom to an exhausted people who could barely hear it, Beloosesky said, King carried a dream to a nation burdened by injustice. The question, he suggested, is not whether the dream was spoken, but whether it is still being heard. “We must ask ourselves now: How many people are listening today?” he said. “How many truly want to hear Dr. King’s dream in our time?” Throughout the service,
that question echoed in many ways. Congregants were invited to share moments of gratitude, g rounding ideals in everyday life. A mother spoke of her relief and gratitude that her daughter had traveled safely to and from Israel. A young student drew laughter when she expressed thanks that her science teach-
er had not assigned homework. Between prayers, there was music. Featured soloist Sydney Williams delivered powerful renditions of “Lean on Me,” by Bill Withers, “Visions,” by Stevie Wonder, and “This Time,” from the musical “Now. Here. This.” The songs mirrored the evening’s themes of solidarity, CONTINUED ON PAGE 9