Just recently, early on Sunday morning, March 30, a pedestrian was struck and killed by an automobile at the corner of Old Mill Road and Middle Neck Road, in the Village of Great Neck, right in front of Temple Beth-El.
Nassau County Police reported that Adrian Vasquez of Great Neck was walking eastbound on Old Mill Road when he was struck by a driver who reportedly lost control of his automobile.
Vasquez died at North Shore University Hospital.
At the time of the accident, 40 members of the temple’s Project ToBE visioning team were meeting inside the temple. As it turns out, one of the Project ToBE team members was a close to a friend of Vasquez, his wife and children.
The family members are “all connected to St. Aloysius, our community partner in many projects,” said Temple Beth-El Senior Rabbi Tara Feldman. “Our temple has a long history of working with St. Al’s,” the rabbi told the Great Neck Record.
“After the fire at Temple Beth-El (many years ago), St. Al’s was incredibly generous to us,” she added.
Rabbi Feldman reached out to Monsignor Riordan of St. Aloysius, using this tragedy as “an important opportunity to help them.” A fund was created to help the family with some of the expenses they are about to face.
Rabbi Feldman asked that anyone able to help with this effort donate to the Rabbis’ Discretionary Fund and assured that these funds will be passed along to the Vasquez family.
“This was a ‘feel good’ opportunity in a really horrid situation,” Feldman said.
