When news broke on a Shabbos morning in June that IDF troops had rescued four hostages in Gaza, Mayor Elsie Foster of Highland Park knew that her Sabbath observant Jewish residents would want to know about this development. So she printed a news story from the New York Times and had a copy of the article delivered to each of the synagogues in town.

That simple act of human decency, which the mayor thought was “really no big deal,” got written up in an article in Israel Hayom and shared on countless social media posts. The story also reached Rebbetzin Chani Gurkov of the Chabad Center of Wayne, New Jersey who found it very inspiring and invited Mayor Foster to speak at the Chabad Center’s women’s event, “The Queen’s Tea” was held on Sunday, Nov. 17.

The event, which took place at the Packanack Lake Country Club & Community Association in Wayne, attracted dozens of women from the community. Rebbetzin Gurkov presented Mayor Foster with a lucite tzedaka box. The mayor spoke about her efforts to create a compassionate community in Highland Park and related how these efforts reflect Jewish values. She urged participants to look for more opportunities to perform acts chesed in their families, their neighborhoods and their communities.

The brunch also featured an inspirational talk by Rebbetzin Raizy Metzger, the co-director of the Chabad of Sutton Place in New York City, who spoke of her struggles in parenting and faith after her son was diagnosed with non-verbal autism and the inspiration she drew from the struggles.

Harry Glazer is the Middlesex County Editor of The Jewish Link. He can be reached at [email protected] and he welcomes feedback.