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The Westchester Jewish Council's
WE-stchester
Comm-UNITY
Connection
April 23, 2026 6 Iyar 5786
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Greetings!
Yesterday marked Yom HaAtzmaut/Israel Independence Day. It was nice to see our vibrant Westchester Jewish community come together in so many events to celebrate the 78th birthday of the modern State of Israel. The festivities will continue one more time at a family celebration, Westchester Celebrates Israel at 78 this Sunday afternoon, April 26th. There will be live music from Noam Buskila, food, games, arts and crafts and new this year, the Esek Israeli Market supporting Israel's small businesses. This event is free and open to all. More details, including registration information, can be found below. Please sign up in advance to allow us to properly plan.
This week is National Volunteer Week, making it the perfect time to celebrate our local volunteers. Next Tuesday, the Council will honor 17 exceptional community volunteers nominated by their organizations at the 31st Annual Julian Y. Bernstein Distinguished Service Awards Ceremony. We invite you to join us for this special free event. Please sign up in advance.
Please save the date for the following community events:
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The city of New Rochelle's Jewish American Heritage celebration event will take place on Monday, May 11, from 5:30-7:00 pm at City Hall. More details are forthcoming.
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Looking ahead, please note that the biennial Westchester Afternoon of Jewish Music and Joy with Kol Hazzanim: Westchester Community of Cantors will be held on Sunday, November 15th at Westchester Reform Temple in the afternoon. Please mark your long-range planning calendars.
Given recent events in local schools and towns, we want to highlight some of the work the Council is doing, with our partners, to build and strengthen understanding, respect, and unity among diverse faith and ethnic communities. Please read on to learn more about our ongoing efforts to promote tolerance, and feel free to contact us with any questions.
Also of special note was an extraordinary full-day program held yesterday, bringing together nearly 100 Westchester public school leaders for a day of "Learning on Identifying Antisemitism and Intolerance in our Schools." More details about this impactful program will be shared next week. We are especially encouraged that over half of Westchester’s school districts were represented.
This newsletter is a bit longer than usual with many community events, odds and ends, good wishes and more. We hope you find the time to scroll through the full issue.
Wishing you a wonderful final weekend of April.
Shabbat Shalom.
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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 | | |
COMING TUESDAY!
Our Annual Julian Y. Bernstein
Distinguished Service Awards Ceremony Is on April 28
SIGN UP TODAY - FREE AND OPEN TO ALL
| | We invite you to join us next 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. | | Congratulatory messages received going forward will not be printed in the program, but honorees will be notified at a later date. | | UPCOMING PROGRAMS AND HELPING ISRAEL | |
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. | | |
Thank you to our Technology Consultant, David G. Hoch, for always keeping us informed of the latest security concerns with our technology. We share with you the latest alert regarding scam email messages.
We are seeing a significant increase in SCAM activity in the form of email messages suggesting that Microsoft is alerting you to the need to Update / Change / Renew, your password. Another tactic is indicating that an item has been shared with you, that you are not expecting.
These messages have many indicators that they are NOT legitimate messages but if you are hurried, or not being skeptical enough, they could look real enough to fool some people. For that reason, I’m bringing this to your attention and asking you to be on the lookout. If you are the slightest bit unsure, it is always best to delete and ignore the message. You can also reach out to me, and I can evaluate it for you.
Remember: NEVER type in your password unless you know why it is being requested, and NEVER in response to an email message requesting you to do so.
Some of the indications that a message is a SCAM include:
- Appears to be coming FROM your address and TO your address
- Any email message asking you to click on something in order to change/update a password is ALWAYS suspicious and almost always a SCAM
- Fear inducing language such as, “avoid being locked out”, “must complete today”, etc. is indicative of a SCAM
- Suggesting that your password needs to be “Updated”, and / or saying that you can “continue using the same password”, is a clear indicator that the scammer is attempting to steal your password
- Microsoft logo is not accurate
- Fonts and Colors of Microsoft logo are not accurate
- Bad grammar or spelling is also an indication, though with the scammers use of AI this is becoming less common
| | 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
| | CONNECTING GOVERNMENT AND COMMUNITY | | |
Please find the Hastings-On-Hudson Mayor's Statement on Recent Act of Antisemitism and Hate here.
In addition, here are comments from Scarsdale Mayor Justin Arest and State Assemblywoman Amy Paulin about the most recent incident at Scarsdale High School.
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WORKING TOGETHER TO BUILD
COMMUNITY AND UNDERSTANDING
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The Westchester Jewish Council has put significant effort into its Interfaith initiatives, which aim to create and strengthen understanding, respect, and unity among different faith and ethnic communities. This work is more important now than ever. Tami Arnowitz leads many of these programs, and from time to time, we will share updates on the initiatives she and the Council are currently working on. This week, we share some information about some recent clergy programs.
Over the past year and a half, through the funding and vision of our partner, UJA-Federation, we have supported Clergy Interfaith Councils in Mamaroneck/Larchmont and the Rivertowns. These groups are now thriving, and participants have formed connections that extend beyond meetings to include co-teaching and collaborative programs within each other’s congregations and organizations.
An outgrowth of the clergy work is a series of events called "Learning with Neighbors," where different houses of worship and organizations come together to learn and share meals. Each session features teaching pairs from different faith traditions. The event held this past Sunday in Mamaroneck brought together five houses of worship - Larchmont Temple, Larchmont Avenue Church, St. John's Larchmont, St. Thomas Episcopal Church and Westchester Jewish Center - along with a representative from Iona College, who chairs the Jewish-Catholic Studies program. There were over 70 attendees at this gathering.
In May, we will hold a similar event in the Rivertowns and White Plains. Stay tuned for details.
In addition, on Thursday May 7th, we will be convening all clergy in honor of the "National Day of Prayer" for a program of unity, hope and peace.
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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.
Register now: https://www.ujafedny.org/event/view/westchester-celebration
| | A SMALL SAMPLE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING... | |
Colleyville Documentary Screening
Sunday, April 26, 2026 • 9 Iyar 5786
4:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Main Sanctuary-Congregation Kol Ami
On January 15, 2022, Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Wlaker and three others were taken hostage during a Shabbat morning service at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas. Join us for the documentary recounting this harrowing event, followed by a talkback session and Q&A with Rabbi Walker.
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Please join us on Wednesday, April 29th at 7:30pm, for an important briefing "Mideast in Crisis: Where Are We & What's Next?" Israel 360, together with Israel Bonds, will be hosting Asaf Romirowsky, a published historian on Israel and Middle East policy, Exec. Dir. of Scholars for Peace in the Middle East, and Senior Research Fellow at the Begin-Sadat Center. Asaf will update us on the latest challenges Israel is facing and possible ways forward. I hope you can make it for what will be an important and timely event.
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"Choosing Life: From Survival to Resilience" with Barak Morag
Monday, May 4 at 7:00 pm at Temple Sholom, 300 East Putnam Avenue, Greenwich, CT 06830
Barak Morag and his family's lives were changed in an instant on October 7, 2023. Hiding in the safe room of their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz, they were forced to make life-or-death decisions at every moment until their eventual rescue. Barak will share their powerful story of survival and the journey of rebuilding from the ruins. The cost to attend is free for Temple Sholom members and $18 for non-members.
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Ari Loren z״l Memorial Hockey Tournament | Sunday, May 3 @ 11:00AM-3:00PM
Many in our community were lucky to know Ari Loren z״l - as a personal friend and as a beloved hockey coach and mentor to our kids. Join Westchester Day School for the 1st Ari Loren Memorial Hockey Tournament, honoring the heart, drive, and encouragement he brought to every player.
Open to 6th–12th grade players from all schools; all are welcome to come watch and support.
For details & registration:
| | We are hosting a webinar on Sunday, May 3rd with the Director General of Soroka Medical Center. Professor Shlomi Codish will share firsthand insights into navigating the complexities of operating a hospital under wartime protocols. Together, we will explore the realities of providing healthcare under fire, where high-stakes decisions are made in real time, and how Soroka continuously delivers lifesaving care under extraordinary pressure. | | |
Jewish Community Center of Harrison
Tuesday, May 5, 2026
7:00 PM Book Talk with Susan Kleinman, author of All Afternoon
Set in a Modern Orthodox community in 1978, All Afternoon follows Marilyn Weisfeld, a former writer drawn back to her ambitions after an unexpected guest, forcing her to choose between the comfort of tradition and the possibility of a more authentic life.
Susan will discuss growing up Modern Orthodox in 1970s Westchester, the early days of bat mitzvah culture (including the one she never had), and what has—and hasn’t—changed for Jewish-American women over the past 50 years.
Presented by JCCH and the Harrison Public Library.
Books will be available for purchase.
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Color TV Live at Temple Israel!
The Neighborhood presents:
An Evening with Color TV
Color TV is a six-piece ensemble fueled by a collective intuition and a high-energy live sound. Driven by close listening, sharp instincts, and countless hours of collective performance and improvisation, each appearance delivers a crisp, synchronized energy that brings the music into high definition.
Saturday May 9th
Doors at 7, Music at 7:30
Food and Bar included in your ticket.
$36 pp
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New Rivertowns Jewish Festival to Debut on Dobbs Ferry Waterfront Dobbs Ferry, NY — A new community event is set to debut this summer along the Hudson River as Chabad of the Rivertowns presents the Rivertowns Jewish Festival, an afternoon of food, music, and family-friendly activities open to all. The festival will take place on Sunday, June 14, from 1:00–3:00 PM at the Dobbs Ferry waterfront.
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Harry Shontz, The Leffell School High School History Department Chair, was presented with the Milken Educator Award last week. He is the first educator in Westchester County -and the second from a Jewish school nationally - to receive this prestigious honor and one of only 27 teachers nationwide selected for the award during the 2025-2026 academic year.
The full message from Head of School Michael Kay can be read below.
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For close to 40 years, Harold Rosenbaum and The New York Virtuoso Singers have been delighting audiences with their extraordinary musicianship presenting choral music ranging from the old masters to new champions of the art form. We believe concerts of Jewish music are profoundly important in our current climate, serving as a vital bridge between tradition and contemporary life, while acting as a source of resilience against rising antisemitism. We hope the music of this concert will uplift and promote cultural unity, plus spiritual and communal connection.
Along with our outstanding choir, Cantor Daniel Singer of the Stephen Wise Free Synagogue will be the featured soloist, and we will hear the inspiring music of Cantor Natasha Hirschhorn of Congregation Ansche Chesed. Also on the program will be the music of Kurt Weill, Ernest Bloch, and John Harbison, among others.
Tickets can be purchased at the door for $25 or online using the QR code on the flier, or by visiting our website at www.nyvirtuoso.org. Concert-goers purchasing tickets online receive a $5 discount.
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MAZAL TOV TO:
WJCS on their 2026 Gala, which was held on April 15th
Temple Beth Abraham on their Annual Gala, which is taking place this Saturday, April 25th honoring Rabbi David K. Holtz on the occasion of his upcoming retirement
Deganit Ronen, Head of School at Westchester Torah Academy, and her husband, Rav Tomer Ronen, on the recent marriage of their daughter, Tal to Gaby Toledano.
Westchester Torah Academy (WTA) on the Annual Dinner, which is scheduled for this Sunday, April 26th
| | WESTCHESTER COUNTY EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES | | 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. | | Westchester Reform Temple is looking to hire an Executive Assistant to the Rabbis. | | 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 30, 2026
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