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The Westchester Jewish Council's
WE-stchester
Comm-UNITY
Connection
March 31, 2026 13 Nisan 5786
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Dear {First Name}
Good morning.
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The Westchester Jewish Council condemns in the strongest terms the normalization and platforming of antisemitic rhetoric by public figures and political candidates in our community and beyond.
We are deeply alarmed by the growing trend of elected officials and candidates for public office appearing on platforms hosted by individuals with documented records of antisemitic statements, including Hasan Piker, a media personality with an extensively documented record of antisemitic rhetoric.
When political leaders choose to associate with and appear alongside individuals who traffic in antisemitism, they send a clear message about their values and judgment. They normalize hatred. They tell the Jewish community that our safety and dignity are negotiable for political gain.
This is not about policy disagreement. This is about basic human decency and the rejection of bigotry in all its forms.
The Westchester Jewish Council calls on all public officials and candidates for office—regardless of party—to exercise moral clarity in choosing their platforms and associations. Appearing on Hasan Piker's show is not legitimate political outreach. It is an endorsement of hate.
Our community deserves leaders who will stand unequivocally against antisemitism, not those who will platform it for clicks and votes.
The Jewish community is watching. We will remember who demonstrates moral courage and who chooses to side with hate.
Westchester Jewish Council Executive Committee:
Michael Mittelman, President
Elliot Forchheimer, Chief Executive Officer
Marc Klee, Senior Vice President
Adeena Rosen, Vice President for Government Relations
Stu Seltzer, Vice President for Israel Matters
Arlene Kleinberg, Vice President for Jewish Community Building
Ellen Reinheimer, Vice President for Community Relations
Michele Gregson, Secretary and Vice President for Communications
Jack Zinn, Treasurer
Karen Rosenfeld, Audit Chair
Michael Scheffler, At Large
William H. Schrag, At Large and Past President
Lisa Roberts, Past President
Debra Abrahams Weiner, Past President
Ronald E. Burton, Past President
Paul B. Warhit, Past President
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As we gather with family and friends around the seder table, we also hold close those in Israel and across the Middle East who continue to face profound challenges. May peace return swiftly and bring comfort in the days ahead.
Once the holiday has concluded, many Westchester programs await. We hope you will join us for our annual Yom HaShoah Commemoration, Yom HaZikaron observance , Yom Ha’atzmaut celebration, and the 31st Annual Julian Y. Bernstein Distinguished Service Awards. You won’t want to miss these important community moments—details are included below.
We wish you a meaningful and joyous Passover, and to our Christian friends, a happy Easter.
Chag Sameach—may your Passover be filled with meaning, connection, and joy.
Michael Mittelman, President
Elliot Forchheimer, CEO
Lori Kurlander, Communications Manager
WESTCHESTER JEWISH COUNCIL
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HERE WHEN YOU NEED US - YESTERDAY, TODAY AND TOMORROW:
Since 1975, the Council has connected our Jewish community to:
Each other, to Israel, to our elected officials and
to our brothers and sisters from other faiths and ethnic groups
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(The Council is financially supported by donations from individuals,
dues from 120 member organizations and generous financial support from UJA-Federation.)
| | UPCOMING COUNCIL PROGRAMS | | |
Get Ready: Our Annual Julian Y. Bernstein
Disntiguished Service Awards Ceremy Is Coming Soon!
| | We invite you to join us on Tuesday, April 28th to celebrate this year's Distinguished Service Awards honorees, each of whom has an amazing story to share. Details can be found below and on our website. | |
Spotlight on the Julian Y. Bernstein
Distinguished Service Awards Honorees
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DR. ELENA PROCARIO-FOLEY
Dr. Elena Procario-Foley earned her PhD from the Divinity School of the University of Chicago and teaches at Iona University. Her research and teaching focuses on Jewish-Christian studies and theology, understanding the revision of Catholic theological views toward Jews and Judaism to be a moral obligation. For over 25 years, Iona and AJC Westchester/Fairfield have produced the highly regarded Shared Roots, Divergent Paths Series twice annually, as well as other programs. Iona and the Holocaust and Human Rights Education Center have collaborated since 2010 offering annual Kristallnacht and Yom HaShoah programs and Iona hosts the HHREC High School Human Rights Institute.
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JOSH SCHRAETER
Josh Schraeter grew up in Brooklyn, NY, in a family with a rich cantorial lineage dating back to his great-grandfather in Europe. Music and Jewish tradition were central to his upbringing. Every Saturday, he walked to synagogue with his father, the Cantor at Temple Petach Tikvah in Crown Heights, NY. On Friday evenings, his father and his mother, a trained opera singer, would sing zemirot together with Josh and his two siblings. In 1980 he joined the Jewish Community Center of Harrison. When Cantor Bernard Dienstag unexpectedly called him to the bimah to lead the Shacharit service because the ba’al koreh lost his voice, Josh began his decades-long commitment to synagogue leadership. For the past 40 years, he has led the Shacharit and Mincha services on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
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OPHIRA CUKIERMAN
Ophira’s journey with the JCC of Mid-Westchester began in 1989, when she first visited the center—then known as the Mid-Westchester Y—by joining a youth ski trip during her winter school break. She returned in 2008 as she and her family prepared to move to Scarsdale and searched for a preschool for their three-year-old daughter. Trusting her instincts, Ophira enrolled her daughter and began what would become an almost twenty-year relationship with the JCC.
Ophira has given back to the JCC serving as head of the preschool PTA, President of the Board of Directors and most recently, as a member of the Programming Advisory Committee.
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LESLEY LEVINE
Lesley was raised on Long Island and grew up at Temple Beth Israel, a conservative congregation in Port Washington. She had her bat mitzvah there, the only girl in a class of thirteen students. While a lawyer by training, Lesley has had two very different careers, one as a prosecutor, as well as a mid-life change to college counseling high schoolers. She is a longtime member of Rosh Pinah Chavurah in Hastings-on-Hudson. At Rosh Pinah, Lesley has been putting together the post-services kiddush for almost 20 years, whether for fifteen or 60 people. She’s also been the lead on two past Chavurah projects, persuading congregants to provide a full Sunday meal and deliver it to the young people temporarily housed at The Sanctuary, (part of Children’s Village) and providing a meal for immigrants studying ESL and delivering it to St. Barnabas Church in Ardsley.
| | UPCOMING PROGRAMS AND HELPING ISRAEL | | ENGAGEMENT ACROSS INTERFAITH COMMUNITIES | |
WESTCHESTER JEWISH COUNCIL'S
SECURITY AND SAFETY UPDATE
“Repetition Reinforces Retention and Recall”
| | For more information about the Westchester Jewish Council's Security Roundtable initiative, contact security@wjcouncil.org. Working together we are all safer. | | WESTCHESTER JEWISH COUNCIL ROUNDTABLES | | |
Westchester Jewish Council
Upcoming Community Roundtables
(The Council thanks the hundreds of people who dedicate time to attend our Roundtables - a signature initiative of the Council, often sponsored with wonderful partners from among our member organizations)
Synagogue Presidents - Wednesday, May 6
Security - Thursday, May 14
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An Evening with Professor Stephen Berk: Antisemitism: Past and Present
Tuesday, April 14, 2026 • Doors open at 7:15 pm
Antisemitism is the world’s oldest and most persistent hatred. Not because Jews change, but because antisemitism continually mutates to fit the prevailing ideas of the time — repackaged again and again like old wine in new bottles.
To better understand how these changes have appeared across history — and why they matter today — join UJA Westchester to hear from Stephen Berk, professor of Holocaust and Jewish studies at Union College.
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Rachel Goldberg-Polin Book Launch
Thursday, April 23, 2026 • Doors open at 6:30 pm
Our greater community stood in solidarity as Rachel Goldberg-Polin turned unimaginable pain into fierce advocacy for the return of her beloved son, Hersh, who was kidnapped from the Nova music festival on October 7, and later murdered by Hamas.
Join UJA Westchester to hear from Rachel about her new book, When We See You Again. Rachel will discuss some of her book's major themes, including intense grief, love, loss, devotion, and faith.
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UJA Westchester Annual Celebration Wednesday, May 13, 2026 • 6:30 pm
Celebrate our community’s support for UJA and help us honor Karen and Ed Friedman for their deep commitment to the Jewish community and recognize Kim Goldberg and Lauren Shalem as the recipients of our Young Leadership Award.
| | A SMALL SAMPLE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING... | | |
Passover Spotify Tunes for You from The Leffell School
It is never too soon to start practicing the Ma Nishtanah! With Passover around the corner we hope that you and your family enjoy this Passover Playlist, which includes a few of the traditional seder melodies found in the haggadah, as well as several fun, nostalgic, and catchy tunes that you can sing at your seder.
| | OTHER MEMBER ORGANIZATION UPCOMING PROGRAMS AND NEWS | | |
Tune In to Our Next Elluminating Conversations Webinar!
Confronting Poverty:
Empowering Women in Uganda Through Jewish Values
Thursday, April 16, 12:00 PM ET
Featuring: Shoshana McKinney Kirya-Ziraba, Executive Director of Tikvah Chadasha Uganda
Don’t Miss it — Elluminate hosts a monthly webinar to highlight members of The Collective, our signature leadership advancement program for Jewish women leaders who focus on today’s intractable issues and innovative solutions.
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Faith in Motion: How Mecca, Rome, and Jerusalem Continue to Shape Our Stories
Shared Roots, Divergent Paths Series
In Partnership with Iona University
Thursday, April 23
7:00 p.m.
Location Upon RSVP
In the weeks following Easter, Ramadan, and Passover, join us for a powerful conversation on the shared origins of Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. Led by three esteemed scholars representing each of the three Abrahamic religions, we’ll uncover how these intertwined traditions can help us listen better, bridge divides, and engage today’s civic challenges with greater insight and respect.
| | SOME QUICK MEDIA/COMMUNITY LINKS | | |
Westchester Jewish Council
925 Westchester Avenue, Suite 200, White Plains, NY 10604
914-328-7001 | info@wjcouncil.org | www.wjcouncil.org
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For information regarding submissions, please contact Lori Kurlander
The next Community Connection will be published on or about April 7, 2026
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