The Westchester Jewish Council's
Community Connection
June 17, 2021 7 Tamuz 5781
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What a year this has been! We are all unquestionably in need of a break and some down time from Covid and "Zoom Nation". Whether as volunteers or professionals, it has been a journey like none other we have experienced or in most cases been formally trained for.
As we begin to emerge from the darkness of the last year and begin to plan for a bright new year, it is important for us to recognize our extraordinary clergy, Jewish communal professionals and of course lay leaders. All have been under enormous pressure during the pandemic and have given of themselves beyond all expectation because that is who they are. They have worked creatively to sustain our connection and community and they deserve our gratitude.
As we acknowledge what we have all been through and the toll it has taken, we need to reach out and extend our support to them in deeds, not just in words, as we continue to work toward our common goal of getting our lives and institutions back and infused with the power of our community.
We hope that our Council member organizations will try to “slow down” a bit over the summer months to enable our professionals and lay leaders to refresh and reenergize for the new Jewish year that begins as Labor Day BBQ's give way to Rosh HaShana on Labor Day Monday night.
We remind you to take advantage of the resources offered by our friends and colleagues at Westchester Jewish Community Services (WJCS). And of course, the Westchester Jewish Council will continue to be here for you as we have been throughout this challenging time.
As for the Council, we will be modifying our official summer hours in order to pace ourselves for what we know will be a season of rebirth in the Fall. Please note as well that from June 21 - August 30 the weekly newsletter will be sent out every other week.
Happy Father's Day to those who celebrate and we wish everyone a Shabbat Shalom!
WESTCHESTER JEWISH COUNCIL
"HERE WHEN YOU NEED US-YESTERDAY, TODAY AND TOMORROW"
(The Council is financially supported by donations from individuals,
dues from 134 member organizations and generous grant support from UJA-Federation)
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Please support the work of the Westchester Jewish Council. Your donation makes a difference each and every day. Click here to donate.
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WESTCHESTER COUNTY GOVERNMENT NEWS |
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County Executive George Latimer Introduces Legislation Aimed at Combatting Discrimination in Westchester County.
Westchester Board of Legislators adopted an Amendment to Human Rights Law Concerning Discriminatory Harassment Law. This took place at a press conference on Tuesday, June 15th. William H. Schrag represented the Council and ended his speech in support of the amendment with the following, "I reiterate the Westchester Jewish Council’s support and gratitude for this new legislation."
To view the press conference, please click here. To read the press release, please click here.
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John M. Nonna, Westchester County Attorney, Tejash Sanchala, Executive Director, Human Rights Commission, James Young, LGBTQ Advisory Board, William H. Schrag, Westchester Jewish Council President, Hon. George Latimer, Chris Johnson, Westchester County Legislator, David Imamura, Asian American Advisory Board, Maria Trusa, Hispanic Advisor, Jason Whitehead, Senior Assistant County Attorney, Hanade Sarar, Arab American Advisory Board.
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WESTCHESTER JEWISH COUNCIL ROUNDTABLES (ConnecTables)
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Westchester Jewish Council
Upcoming Community 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)
Upcoming Virtual Council Roundtables:
Security Roundtable - Thursday, June 17th.
Contact the Council office at (914) 328-7001 or [email protected] for information on these and other Roundtables--a key offering of the Westchester Jewish Council.
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WESTCHESTER JEWISH COUNCIL LOOKS BACK
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The Town of New Castle held a rally against antisemitism this past Sunday at the New Castle Holocaust Memorial.
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Telling Our Story:
with Mira Rosenblatt and Belinda Levavi
Tuesday, June 22, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM
We are honored to be joined by Mira Rosenblatt and her daughter Belinda Levavi. Ms. Rosenblatt, a Holocaust Survivor, will speak about her experiences as a survivor, and will address pre-written questions from DOROT's college interns. We will also have an opportunity to engage in conversation during the program. Please join us for this special program. To read more about part of Mira's journey: New York Times
Lasting Impressions: DOROT’s Legacy Project is generously supported by a grant from the Keller-Shatanoff Foundation
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AJC Westchester/Fairfield Annual Meeting – “No Hate in Our States” - June 22 at 7:00pm via Zoom
At a time when we are witnessing an alarming rise in hate crimes including antisemitic attacks across the country, please join us for the 2021 AJC Westchester/Fairfield virtual Annual Meeting on “No Hate in our States”. The program will feature a timely conversation on this critical issue with New York Attorney General Letitia James and Connecticut Attorney General William Tong. The conversation will be moderated by AJC Westchester/Fairfield Regional Director Myra Clark-Siegel. The meeting will also feature the election of AJC Westchester/Fairfield's Board of Directors and officers.
Any questions please contact AJC Westchester/Fairfield at [email protected] or by calling 914.948.5585. The program is free and open to the public.
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The Hebrew Institute’s Life-long Learning Program is delighted to welcome as a guest speaker:
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Michael Koplow
"New Beginnings or More of the Same? U.S.-Israel Relations in the Post-Netanyahu Era"
June 23, 2021 | 14 Tammuz 5781
8:00 PM
Registration Link:
Michael Koplow is the Policy Director of the Israel Policy Forum, and also serves as a senior research fellow of the Kogod Research Center at the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America.
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Please join Pardes for their Summer Learning Seminar.Please click the link to learn more and register.
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WESTCHESTER COUNTY EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES |
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Shaarei Tikvah Community Educator
We are looking for a full-time educator (August 2021- July 2022), to carry out administrative tasks, teach in our religious school, co- facilitate family programming, and engage with our teens through dynamic and innovative programs in our thriving synagogue community! For a full description, please click here.
How to Apply: Please send your resume to the Education Director, Rachel Mann at [email protected].
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The role is perfect for a recent college grad or a previous stay at home parent who is looking for something long term. The work entails assisting SRP's clients with downsizing, relocating, or simplifying their homes. This could include supervision of logistics of packing/unpacking, management of a variety of outside vendors, customer care and service, and other assigned tasks. Experience in retail, hospitality, customer service, as a camp counselor or similar are all appropriate. The pay is hourly, with most weeks requiring 30 to 40 hours, typically 8:30am to 5:30pm weekdays. SRP’s clients are within Westchester County, NYC and surrounding areas. All interested candidates should contact [email protected]
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MAZEL TOV TO:
Beth El Synagogue Center on the "Celebrating Our Community 2021" virtual gala and to honorees Rebekkah Gold and Linda Newman.
The Leffell School Senior Class of 2021 who graduated this past Sunday.
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COVID VACCINE RESOURCES AND UPDATES |
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Lifting COVID-19 Restrictions
JUNE 15, 2021
With 70% of NY'ers aged 18 or older having received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccination, industry specific guidelines are now optional across commercial and social settings. To read the full statement from Governor Cuomo, please click here.
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WESTCHESTER JEWISH COUNCIL'S
SECURITY AND SAFETY UPDATE
"By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail" B. Franklin
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The Hebrew Free Loan Society (HFLS) has created a bridge loan fund providing capital to federal and state security grant recipients to make all necessary security upgrades immediately while awaiting reimbursement from the government. This program, a partnership with with UJA-Federation of New York and the Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey, provides interest-free loans of up to $150,000 to organizations in any of New York City’s five boroughs, Westchester, Long Island and Northern New Jersey. Click here for more information, or contact Fred Cohen at [email protected]
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Please be aware of the DA’s new Tips Hotline (914-995-TIPS) to help combat hate and bias in Westchester.
As always and per protocol, please report any security concerns immediately to your local Police Department and then to the Council and to CSI/Bill Hayes for follow up.
Stay alert, prepared and safe.
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We invite teens in the community to represent their agencies and synagogues at our WJC Youth Volunteer Roundtable. We ask our Youth Professionals to recommend a teen(s) to join us at the table. Please send the name and contact and any questions to Donna Bartell - [email protected]
Westchester Jewish Council Teen Organizations include:
Thank you to The Jewish Education Project for working so closely with our Teen professionals and volunteers!
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For a complete and timely schedule and other television providers, go to www.jbstv.org
The Hudson Valley 211 Helpline is Here
This is a service of United Way of Westchester and Putnam.
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Westchester Jewish Council
925 Westchester Avenue, Suite 200, White Plains, NY 10604
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The next Community Connection will be published on or about June 24, 2021
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