The Westchester Jewish Council's
Community Connection
 Your bi-weekly and every so often e-newsletter

April 23 2020 29 Nisan 5780
ABOUT US    WHAT WE DO     COUNCIL EVENTS    CALENDAR      DIRECTORY    NEWS    RESOURCES  
‌


Hello!

“Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear. If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today. ”
– Thich Nhat Hanh

This was a special week in that we were able to virtually commemorate Yom Hashoah as a community. We had over 400 people in attendance as we gathered to hear inspiring prayers and songs, along with stories of resilience. Thank you to our partner Holocaust & Human Rights Education Center for helping to make this such a special event. Thank you to everyone who participated and to all that attended. We look forward to next year when hopefully, we can return to the Garden of Remembrance in White Plains for this commemoration.

As we look ahead to next week, we will join together again on Tuesday to honor Israeli Soliders on Yom HaZikaron and then partake Wednesday in a worldwide celebration for Israel Independence Day (Yom Ha'Atzmaut) . Thank you to our Member organization FIDF (Friends of the Israel Defense Force) for partnering with us to commemorate Israel Memorial Day. We will also be hosting some important conversations next week including a virtual meeting with District Attorney Anthony Scarpino, Jr. on his office's plan to tackle online anti-Semitism and a virtual forum with US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand where she will discuss the CARE Act among other current hot topics. Details for all of these events and more can be found below.

This issue and indeed our community is filled with so many happenings. Please read on and let us now how we can be of help to you and your community/organization. Since 1975 it has been our privilege to connect Jewish Westchester.

Shabbat Shalom and may the new Jewish month bring to all of us renewed health of body, mind and spirit.
Sincerely,

Lisa Roberts, President
Lori Kurlander, Communications Manager
Elliot Forchheimer, CEO
WESTCHESTER JEWISH COUNCIL

"HERE WHEN YOU NEED US
YESTERDAY, TODAY AND TOMORROW"

(The Council is financially supported by donations from individuals,
dues from 136 member organizations and generous grant support from UJA-Federation)
Please support the work of the Westchester Jewish Council. Your donation makes a difference each and every day. Click here to donate
CONSULATE GENERAL OF ISRAEL WEBINAR TODAY/THURSDAY
We at the Consulate General of Israel in New York hope you are doing well during these challenging times! We would like to extend an invitation to you to attend our upcoming webinar TODAY - Thursday, April 23rd at 12pm . 

The Consulate has partnered with the Israel Trauma Coalition, a highly respected institution in Israel whom we work with frequently, to present a webinar on mental health. This particular session will explore methods to manage stress and grief during the pandemic, as well as provide general information on ITC as an organization. We think this webinar will be immensely helpful to any and all communities.

Looking forward to see you there!
Link for registration:  https://forms.gle/YCoearPEmiKhFbLD8
WESTCHESTER COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY
VIRTUAL MEETING
"FIGHTING ANTI-SEMITISM ONLINE"

Westchester County District Attorney Anthony A. Scarpino, Jr.'s office will be hosting a Zoom meeting on Monday, April 27th at 11am to discuss their plan to investigate the anti-Semitic cases of zoom-bombing that have occurred in Westchester in recent weeks. Along with District Attorney Scarpino, Jr., the panel will include members of the Investigations Division and the Westchester Intelligence Center. 

This event is by invitation and is geared towards Council security liaisons and leaders of Council member organizations.
For more information and to RSVP, please email pam@wjcouncil.org .
COMING NEXT WEEK:
YOM HAZIKARON & YOM HA'ATZMAUT
ISRAEL INDEPENDENCE DAY
WORLDWIDE CELEBRATION

The Council is honored to partner with our member organization, the Friends of the Israel Defense Force (FIDF) in presenting this program in observance of Yom HaZikaron (Israel Memorial Day). Additional events may be found on the community calendar at www.wjcouncil.org

SAVE THE DATE | April 29 | 2 pm ET
A Global Celebration on Israel’s Independence Day including a Global Dance Party with Matisyahu
It’s not every year that we get to celebrate Yom Ha’atzmaut as one global people, together, in the same place! This year, we can. We’ll be programming an hour-long celebration for you and your community to take part in.

For more information,
visit Jewish Together
 

COMMUNITY FORUM WITH SENATOR KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND
Join UJA Federation New York and
Westchester Jewish Council as we host:

A DISCUSSION WITH
U.S. SENATOR KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND
THURSDAY, APRIL 30th 1:15 PM - 2:15 PM

The Senator will speak about the CARES act and subsequent action and challenges, and what is needed for Stimulus 4. She will also discuss food insecurity.
Please check our website as we continue to finalize the details.
WESTCHESTER JEWISH COUNCIL LOOKS BACK
ANNUAL WESTCHESTER COUNTY
YOM HASHOAH HOLOCAUST COMMEMORATION
The Annual Westchester County Yom Hashoah Holocaust Commemoration took place virtually on Tuesday, April 21st. We had an overwhelming response to this event with over 418 virtual attendees. Thank you as always to our wonderful member organization, the Holocaust and Human Rights Education Center, for organizing this special event with the Council. If you missed this event, please click on the video below.
Pictured Clockwise from L to R: Rabbi Daniel Gropper, President, Westchester Board of Rabbis, Joseph Kaidonow, Chairman, Holocaust and Human Rights Education Center, Cantor Lilah Sugarman, Congregation B'nai Yisrael, Cantor Randall Schloss, Temple Israel Center, Hon. George Latimer, Westchester County Executive, Peter Somogyi (Holocaust Survivor). Speaker not shown: Lisa Roberts, Westchester Jewish Council President.
PROGRAMMING AND EVENTS YOU CAN ENJOY FROM HOME
visit the full Community Calendar at www.wjcouncil.org
Camp Zeke (Council member) -
Song Session with Rabbi Cece, Cantor Melanie and
songleaders Laoise and Rachel
Thursday 4/23 @ 4:30 EST
Back again by popular demand! oin our songleaders for songs you know and love in addition to a few camp favorites. Make it feel like you're at camp, singing and dancings. Lyrics to our less-known songs can be found here . URL:  https://zoom.us/j/98948176485 |  View all programs 
AJC (Council member) has launched Advocacy ADVOCACY ANYWHERE , a virtual platform that will enable you to engage with AJC’s leading expertise, content, and advocacy opportunities from wherever you are, using cutting-edge technology. Advocacy Anywhere offers carefully curated content including exclusive video and phone briefing featuring leading figures, audio segments on the issues of the day, hard-hitting AJC analysis, and ways you can take action from your computer, tablet, or smartphone.

Programs this week include:
For more details, click here.

Visit https://ajc.org/advocacyanwhere regularly, as new programs and fresh content are added daily to keep you informed and engaged during this challenging period.
ISRAELI COOKING WITH FIDF (Council member)
Join Chef Alon Gonen on April 26th at 3pm EST to learn how to master Israeli Cuisine.
For more information about this great program and many others, click FIDF Programs
Don't Miss This Engaging Program through
Stand With Us (Council member) on
Sunday, April 26th

Attorneys: You can learn while you earn your CLE credit!
The Jewish Judge Who Stood Up to the Third Reich
With Cary Lerman, Partner, Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP

(Click the sign-up button below for your local time)
The webinar will discuss a little-known case from 1935, when a low-level magistrate judge in New York, an immigrant from Russia, dared to confront the Nazi regime in Germany. Six members of a politically active seamen’s union stole aboard a luxury German cruise ship, the SS Bremen , and tore down a swastika flag. They were arrested. Judge Louis Brodsky presided over the defendants’ preliminary hearing, and his judgment and opinion sparked a diplomatic crisis between the United States and the Third Reich. For more information, click the link below.
Approved CA MCLE Credit: 1.0 hour
Please contact  legal@standwithus.com  with your state bar license
 number to obtain CLE credit.


The Jewish Education Project (Council member) presents:
"Approaching Transitions: Ending our Year with Positivity, Reflection, and Ritual"
How do we honor this year of Jewish learning coming to a close? What does it mean to mark transition and reflect in uncertain times? We will explore ways to conclude the year learning with experts in Positive Psychology, modern online ritual, and practitioners who are bringing these news ideas to life. 
Thursday, April 30 from 2:00 pm-3:00 pm EDT
For more information from Jewish Education Project, please click here .
The 20th Century is often referred to as the “Century of Genocide.” Unfortunately, this trend has continued into the 21st Century. Many of these genocides either began in April or include significant events which occurred in April.
The Holocaust & Human Rights Education Center (Council member) would like students to raise awareness about these genocides and remember those who were lost as a result of “man’s inhumanity to man.”  To this end, we are sponsoring a special student contest.

Please visit hhrecny for more information about this contest.
Zoom Gali Gali: Jewish Music for Kids -
Tuesdays from 10:00 - 10:20 a.m. 
Get your musical instruments ready! Join us on Tuesday mornings for Jewish musicthat will be fun for all.
Sign up here to receive an email on Tuesday mornings with the Zoom link: https://tinyurl.com/tuesdaytots.
Blue Card Volunteer Opportunity

As we commemorate Yom HaShoah this week and vow to never forget those who survived the darkest chapter in history, Blue Card (a Council member) asks you to please take a minute to record a video of well wishes for home-bound and isolated Holocaust survivors.

For simple step by step instructions and how to record your video now, please visit - https://www.tribute.co/thebluecard/
 
Please join us in our work to help those who deserve it most. 
Welcome to DOROT’s (a Council member) University Without Walls Program!  University Without Walls offers hundreds of classes, appealing to a wide range of interests – all available over the telephone. English-speaking participants from New York and across the country can choose from ever-changing topics and such perennial favorites as Museum Talks, Literature and Arts, In the News, Understanding Your Rights, Jewish Interests, and Health and Wellness.  Now more than ever, University Without Walls is a great way to stay connected.
 
Please find the link below of the programs offered in April 2020!
 

Join Hadar (Council member) and make learning a fixed part of your week! In addition to daily classes, they also have weekly classes including the following:

Rabbi Shai Held on Jewish Live Main Stage: Reading Tehillim: Literary and Theological Explorations of the Psalms; Monday and Thursday; 3:00-4:00 PM;
To stay up-to-date with all of our upcoming programming and for class descriptions, subscribe to Hadar's Virtual Beit Midrash calendar . The relevant Zoom link or access information is included in each calendar event to direct you to the virtual meeting room.
‌
 Thank you for your help in helping
to make our community continue to feel connected.
WELCOME TO A NEW MEMBER ORGANIZATION
SPACA empowers and educates high school and college students to stand up to anti-Semitism and anti-Israel campaigns on college campuses.
To learn more, visit their website spacafortruth .

We look forward to working with SPACA and to help them in expanding their presence in Westchester County.
UJA-FEDERATION OF NEW YORK IN WESTCHESTER


Monday, April 27, 2020 @ 3:00 pm
 
Please join  UJA Westchester for an informative webinar on crisis response and emergency preparedness with Danielle Butin,  founder and CEO of Afya Foundation. Afya is a UJA nonprofit partner that rescues surplus medical supplies and delivers them to underserved health systems around the world.

Danielle will discuss Afya's ongoing response to the current crisis, how we can contribute to those efforts, and ways we can support one another during this unprecedented global challenge.
UJA Community Webinars
Tune in to free online learning sessions  
(Including a warm, pre-Shabbat gathering tomorrow)
for both personal and professional use.
RESPONDING TO COVID-19 IN THE COMMUNITY
Last week was filled with religious significance for thousands of Westchester County residents, and Feeding Westchester knows the importance food plays in so many celebrations. This year, the county’s leading nonprofit, hunger-relief organization teamed up with the UJA-Federation of New York, the Westchester Jewish Council and Red Oak Transportation to deliver thousands of ready-made kosher meals for Passover right to the doors of our neighbors in need. To read more about this, click press release .
WESTCHESTER JEWISH COUNCIL'S SECURITY UPDATE
" By  failing  to  prepare ,  you  are  preparing to fail" B. Franklin
DISTRICT ATTORNEY INVESTIGATING ANTI-SEMITIC INCIDENTS DURING RELIGIOUS ONLINE VIDEO SERVICES
 
April 20, 2020 -- Westchester County District Attorney Anthony A. Scarpino, Jr. announced an investigation into recent anti-Semitic “zoom-bombing” of Jewish religious services in Westchester, which were being video streamed in an effort to bring people together while following social distancing directives.

The incidents took place via a Jewish center video stream Friday, April 3, 2020, and a second incident the following week from another congregation. In both cases, congregation leadership had sent email invitations for anyone to join the interactive video stream. In both incidents, an unknown person or persons logged into the Zoom-based video conference and interrupted the services with anti-Semitic acts, including posting swastikas and other offensive material for all participants to see.

To read the full statement, please click here.

As always and per protocol, please report any security concerns immediately to your local Police Department and then to the Council for follow up.

Please send any security questions/concerns to  security@wjcouncil.org.
WESTCHESTER JEWISH COUNCIL UPCOMING EVENTS
COME AND LEARN. (5 sessions left.)

INTRODUCTION TO JUDAISM

A Nine-Part Weekly Series Led by Rabbis From Throughout the area presented by The Westchester Board of Rabbis, UJA and The Westchester Jewish Council,
Tuesdays, 7-8:30pm. This program will take place each Tuesday Night through May 26th.   

Each session is based upon a chapter in Stephen Wylen's "Settings of Silver: An Introduction to Judaism".  

You may attend as many of the sessions as you choose as each stands alone. No prior knowledge is necessary, just a willingness to learn. Free and open to all

Join us on  Zoom through this link.

Please click here for the Introduction to Judaism curriculum.
COMING IN JUNE...ONLINE
Silver Anniversary
The 25th Annual Julian Y. Bernstein
Distinguished Service Awards Virtual Ceremony
This year's DSA Ceremony will take place (virtually) on  June 4th at 7:30pm.  While we will miss gathering with the community in person to honor 22 individuals for their outstanding dedication to the Westchester Jewish community, we will join one another via zoom. In recognition of the Silver Anniversary of the awards, we will also be honoring Donald J. Fleishaker who was the recipient of a first DSA Award in 1996.More details will follow.

If you would like to make a contribution
in honor of one of the evening's honorees, please click here .
ON A PERSONAL NOTE
Condolences to:

Cantor/Rabbi Vicki Axe , on the loss of her husband Dr. Harold Axe z"l.

The family of Harvey Bayer z"l, president of Fleetwood Synagogue.

Cantor Margot Goldberg , Kol Hazzanim President and Cantor at Temple Beth Abraham on the loss of her mother Lin Bermas z"l.

David Hoch , Westchester Jewish Council IT Consultant, on the loss of his mother Gloria Hirsh z"l.

Miriam Rothman , on the loss of her husband Rabbi Emeritus, Robert A. Rothman z"l, of the Community Synagogue of Rye.

Helene Schonbrun , Westchester Jewish Council Engagement and Special Projects Manager, on the loss of her mother Doris Rosen z"l .

William Schrag , Westchester Jewish Council Board Member, on the loss of his mother Sondra Schrag z"l.

Assemblyman Nader J. Sayegh on the loss of his mother Jalilah Sayegh (Um Nabil).

Fleetwood Synagogue on the passing of their president, Harvey Bayer.
WESTCHESTER JEWISH COUNCIL ROUNDTABLES (ConnecTables)
Westchester Jewish Council
Upcoming C ommunity Roundtables
(The Council thanks the hundreds of people that dedicate time to attend our Roundtables-
a signature initiative of the Council often sponsored with wonderful partners from among our member organizations)
We will be hosting our roundtables via Zoom in the coming weeks.

Some Upcoming Council Roundtables :
MOSAIC LGBTQ - Thursday, April 23 at 7:30pm.
Please email pam@wjcouncil.org for zoom information.
Volunteer Roundtable - Thursday, May 7th
Youth Professionals Roundtable - May
Marketing Roundtable - coming in June - tentative

Contact the Council office at (914) 328-7001 for information on these and other Roundtables--a key offering of the Westchester Jewish Council.

Please look out for the most updated schedule of dates in upcoming newsletters and on our website.
ODDS AND ENDS
Neshama Carlebach shared the following message with us:

"I am so honored to announce that our recording, Believe , has been nominated for Best Gospel Album by the 18th Annual Independent Music Awards!! And, the title track, Believe , has been nominated for both Best Gospel Song and Best Adult Contemporary Song!

This recognition by the music industry and from friends from around the globe is so humbling and encouraging in this challenging time. Believe was a gorgeous team effort and I am so grateful to my music family for bringing their incredible talent and passion to our work.

For more information, click here - Neshama Carlebach
A message from our friend and business supporter -Eden Wok:

TO ALL OUR FRIENDS & FANS 
WHO'VE BEEN ASKING HOW WE'RE DOING;

WE'RE DOING B'H WELL, THANKS FOR ASKING 
BTW; WE'RE ALSO DOING DELIVERIES AND CURBSIDE PICKUPS 
SO IF YOU'D LIKE TO BE DOING SOME EDEN WOK FOR LUNCH, DINNER, SHABBAT ETC., CLICK HERE (Mention you saw this in the council newsletter & save 5%)
Also please be aware of our current hours -
Sunday 12-6:45
Monday-Thursday 11-6:45
Friday 11-3
WESTCHESTER TEEN SCENE
Westchester Jewish Council Teen Organizations include:
Thank you to the Jewish Education Project for working so closely with our Teen professionals and volunteers!
WESTCHESTER EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
If you have a job listing to share, please email lori@wjcouncil.org .
‌
QUICK LINKS

JBS can be seen live 24/7 on Cablevision (channel 138), Verizon FIOS (channel 798), ROKU and on
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 April 30, 2020.