|
The Westchester Jewish Council's
WE-stchester
Comm-UNITY
Connection
April 30, 2026 13 Iyar 5786
| | |
Greetings!
Tomorrow marks the start of Jewish American Heritage Month. The Westchester Jewish Council is honored to work with the leadership of UJA and AJC on a series of events throughout the month. Please continue reading to learn about such events, including a special honoring of the Westchester Jewish Council by the Westchester County Board of Legislators.
Lag BaOmer, which takes place next Wednesday, is a joyful Jewish holiday marked by bonfires, picnics, and weddings. In that same spirit, the past week has been filled with meaningful moments of celebration across our community, whether it was celebrating with over 600 people at the annual Westchester County Israel Independence Day/Yom Ha'atzmaut produced by Hila and her full team of JAFI Shlichim, or the gathering of over 400 community members to honor 17 volunteers at the Westchester Jewish Council's 31st Annual Julian Y. Bernstein Distinguished Awards Ceremony. We are grateful and honored to be building community and bringing people together in inspiring and uplifting ways.
The joyful celebrations continue next Monday evening as the Westchester County Board of Legislators hosts their annual Jewish American Heritage Month program and the Westchester Jewish Council is proud to be one of this year's honorees. Read on for more details about this event.
Shabbat Shalom and have a fabulous weekend.
| | |
Michael Mittelman, President
Elliot Forchheimer, CEO
Lori Kurlander, Communications Manager
WESTCHESTER JEWISH COUNCIL
| |
| |
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
| | |
(The Council is financially supported by donations from individuals,
dues from 120 member organizations and generous financial support from UJA-Federation.)
| | |
Jewish American Heritage Month Celebration
Please join us on Monday, May 4th, at 7:00 pm-7:30 PM at the Westchester County Board of Legislators (148 Martine Ave., 8th Floor, White Plains, NY) as we celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month. All are welcome.
The Westchester Jewish Council is proud to be one of this year’s honorees. We commemorate the Westchester Jewish Council's 50th anniversary, along with honoree the Hon. Suzi Oppenheimer, former NY State Senator.
| | |
Last evening’s Council's 31st Annual Julian Y. Bernstein Distinguished Service Awards ceremony was a meaningful and inspiring celebration of the extraordinary volunteers who give so much to our community. We are deeply grateful to everyone who joined us to honor these outstanding individuals.
Thank you to Donna Bartell, Council Program Director and the DSA Committee (Melissa Baer, Betsy Bernstein, Arlene Kleinberg, Julie Rockowitz, Audrey Samers, Judy Sarch, Larry Thaler and Harold Treiber) for their dedication in bringing this special evening to life.
More thanks to the following:
Temple Israel Center for graciously hosting this event
Adirondack Creamery for providing the ice cream
Beldotti Bakery for providing the donuts
Roger Denhoff of Beehive Press for our printing needs
Aggie Photography for the photos
Stay tuned next week for more photos from this wonderful evening.
Click on the video below to view the program in its entirety.
| | This Israeli flag is worth a thousand words, because it is made up of photographs of all the people murdered by Hamas terrorists (enlarge the image, look at it and share it). | | |
ISRAEL
UPDATES & UPCOMING PROGRAMS
FROM COMMUNITY SHLICHA & SHINSHINIM
| | |
Over the past week, our Westchester community came together in moments of deep reflection and memory as we marked Yom HaZikaron- Israel’s Memorial Day for fallen soldiers and victims of terror. We stood side by side in remembrance, honoring the lives lost, the families forever changed, and the enduring connection we share with Israel.
Then, as we transitioned into Yom HaAtzmaut-Israel’s Independence Day, we gathered once again with synagogues and organizations from across Westchester in a beautiful expression of Israeli spirit, full of music, culture, and togetherness. I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to all the partners, synagogues, and organizations who helped make these events possible.
Beyond the community-wide celebration, we were also honored, as an Israeli Mishlachat, to take part in so many different events across the county.
We were privileged to host special speakers from Israel who shared their personal stories in different institutions, and to participate in a special Israel celebration at Beth Torah featuring the beautiful exhibition Strokes of Hope. The exhibit brought to life the Israeli atmosphere of the past two and a half years through the powerful daily drawings of Zeev Engelmayer, who created a postcard each day throughout this challenging period.
At Larchmont Temple, during a moving Shabbat Israel service, we shared our experiences as being in Westchester during these times and what it means for us to celebrate Israel at 78. In Larchmont, one of our Shinshiniot, Lihi Milshtein, also read from the Torah and shared a few words about her experience, which you can find below.
As Theodor Herzl said, “If you will it, it is no dream.” These meaningful days reminded me again of the responsibility we all share—not only to ask how a dream becomes a state, but how a state continues to preserve the dreams of its people. Watching this community come together in remembrance and in celebration, I feel that this dream is alive, carried in the connections we build and in the way we choose, each day, to remain engaged, connected, and hopeful together.
Hila
| | |
Last Shabbat, I had the honor of reading from the Torah at Larchmont Temple as part of the Israel Shabbat service. It was a very special and emotional moment for me.
When I was 12 years old, my mother asked me to have an Aliyah to the Torah like my older brother, but I refused. Only when I arrived here at age 18 for a year of service in Westchester did I find myself given the opportunity to fulfill her dream—and also my own.
Through this experience, I became more connected to my identity and to the meaning of equality and belonging. I am deeply grateful to the community for its openness and for the privilege of being part of it.
Lihi Milshtein
Westchester Shinshinit
| | |
SAVE THE DATE TO CELEBRATE
THE ISRAEL DAY PARADE
| |
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 +1 - Wednesday, May 6
Security - Thursday, May 14
Mosaic/LGBTQ+ - Tuesday, May 19 at 7:30 pm on Zoom
| | |
WORKING TOGETHER TO BUILD
COMMUNITY AND UNDERSTANDING
| | UJA-Federation and Brandeis University with support from the Council, sponsored a day-long workshop, Day of Learning on Identifying and Addressing Antisemitism in Our Schools, on Wednesday, April 22nd, to combat antisemitism in schools. Twenty-two school districts were represented with nearly 100 attendees. This program is in partnership with Brandeis University’s President’s Initiative on Antisemitism and Boundless. Designed for superintendents, principals, DEI professionals, classroom educators, PTO Chairs, School Board Members, and anyone shaping school culture. This full-day learning session is an opportunity to gain the understanding, confidence, and practical tools to respond to antisemitism in schools. Stay tuned for more such programs in the coming months. | | | |
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.
Register now: https://www.ujafedny.org/event/view/westchester-celebration
| | A SMALL SAMPLE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING... | | A member of the Westchester Community is desperately seeking a kidney for her son, Spears Mallis. To learn more about Spears, click here. To learn more about a special event at Congregation Kol Ami in White Plains to help in this search, click here. Attendees will gain valuable information about kidney donation, enabling them to better spread the message and help Spears find a living donor. | | |
MAZAL TOV TO:
Academy for Jewish Religion on the occasion of their ordination ceremony and graduation, which took place on Monday, April 27th
Young Israel of Scarsdale on the 54th Anniversary Dinner and to honorees Lizzy & Josh Trump, Caroline & Jordan Bryk, and Russie & Jeff Berger
CONDOLENCES TO:
Rabbi Dennis Ross, Temple Shaaray Tefila, on the passing of his mother, Sara Mazon z"l
May Rabbi Ross and his family be comforted among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem and know no more sorrow for many years to come. May her memory be for a blessing.
| | |
"HOSTAGE" - Sandstone sculpture (on weathered wood and metal base)
The owner is hoping to donate this sculpture and find a good home for it.
It would make an impactful historical statement if displayed with text on the wall about the hostage crisis in Israel. The sculptor is Dr. Jacob Lichterman. His resume includes various exhibitions, including at the Brooklyn Museum.
The (indoor) sculpture itself is approx. 23 inches high x 33 inches long x 10 inches wide.
The unique pedestal brings the height of the piece up to 50 inches.
Please email info@wjcouncil.org if you are interested and the Council will connect you with the owner of this sculpture.
| | WESTCHESTER COUNTY EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES | | Greenburgh Hebrew Center in Dobbs Ferry is hiring! Our dynamic and growing Early Childhood Center is looking for Assistant Teachers for the 2026-27 School Year. Click below for more information | | Westchester Jewish Center seeks an energetic, creative, and relationship-driven Director of Youth and Family Engagement to lead and reimagine our youth and family programming. | | 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
| | |
For information regarding submissions, please contact Lori Kurlander
The next Community Connection will be published on or about May 7, 2026
| | | | |
