The Westchester Jewish Council's
Community Connection
 Your now almost weekly e-newsletter

June 4, 2020 12 Sivan 5780
ABOUT US    WHAT WE DO     COUNCIL EVENTS    CALENDAR      DIRECTORY    NEWS    RESOURCES  

Hello!

This week has been a difficult one emotionally for so many of us and there is a great deal of information wherever you turn. We share below some statements of solidarity, including one from the Westchester Board of Rabbis and another from Westchester County Executive George Latimer. We hope you find some comfort and inspiration from these words and from the peaceful protests taking place throughout the county.

We are so very excited for tonight's wonderful ceremony that honors many of the volunteers in our community who give so much of their soul and time to helping others. It is not too late to register for this annual event. Details can be found below. Please save the dates for two upcoming Council events - the Annual Meeting which will take place on June 10th and a countywide Memorial Service on Thursday June 18th.

We wish you a weekend of peace and health.

Shabbat Shalom.
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
WESTCHESTER JEWISH COUNCIL UPCOMING EVENTS
TONIGHT!!!!
Silver Anniversary
The 25th Annual Julian Y. Bernstein
Distinguished Service Awards Virtual Ceremony
This year's JYB DSA Ceremony will take place (virtually) this evening, Thursday June 4th from
7:30 PM-8:45 PM.  We will honor 22 individuals for their outstanding dedication to the Westchester Jewish community 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.

You can still register today.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.



Click  DSA Booklet 2020  to view the 2020 DSA Program which contains the honorees bios and beautiful tributes from families and friends to all of the honorees.
 
The Event will also be streamed Live on Facebook at:

If you would like to join the many others and make a contribution in honor of one of the evening's honorees, please email donna@wjcouncil.org . All donations will be acknowledged to the honoree.
The Westchester Jewish Council Annual Meeting will be held virtually on Wednesday, June 10th at 7pm.

Please register in advance for this meeting:
 
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
"Walking in the Shadow: Healing Together as a Greater Westchester Jewish Community"
This county-wide memorial service will honor all those lost during the pandemic. It will take place on Thursday June from 7 pm - 8 pm

Registration required in advance -

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. 

For more details, contact helene@wjcouncil.org or click on the flyer.
WESTCHESTER COUNCIL LOOKS BACK
Thank you again to Dr. Steven Windmueller for the thought provoking presentation, "Envisioning the Jewish Future" , which was held last Wednesday evening. Thank you to Board Member Jessica Morgenthal, chair of the Council's Jewish Visioning Committee for organizing and hosting this event. If you missed the event, click here for the recording.
WESTCHESTER COUNTY GOVERNMENT NEWS
Thank you to New Rochelle Mayor Noam Bramson for sharing his remarks from a "Justice for Peace" rally he hosted in New Rochelle.

"On Sunday afternoon, May 31st, faith and community leaders from throughout New Rochelle gathered on the steps of City Hall (wearing masks and six feet apart) to express our shared commitment to justice and peace. In the anguished aftermath of the murder of George Floyd, it was a moving demonstration of our city's unity and determination. The full text of my remarks follows below or you can download them as a pdf ."


Nonprofit Westchester Candidate Forum for the 17th Congressional District Democratic Primary
Monday, June 08, 2020 
2:00 PM to 4:00 PM

Please email questions in advance to Jan Fisher
Thank you to our partners at NonProfit Westchester for organizing this event
for the Non Profit community.

DON'T FORGET TO V O T E !


2020 VOTING INFORMATION
as per the Westchester County Board of Elections

2020 Primaries Elections updates
As of May 5, 2020, the Democratic Presidential Primary to be held June 23, 2020, has been reinstated due to court litigation.
Read important information  regarding the June 23, 2020 Primary Elections.

Absentee ballot applications
Pursuant to Governor Cuomo’s Executive Order from April 24, 2020, all eligible voters in active or inactive status will be mailed an  absentee ballot application  for the Presidential and Local Primary Elections being held on June 23, 2020.
 
For more information, please click here .
SOME RESPONSES ON THE MURDER OF GEORGE FLOYD

Westchester County Executive George Latimer Addresses the County on the Murder of George Floyd

County Executive Latimer announces formation of a working group to review all procedures and policies that are used by County Police Academy to train new police recruits and for in-service training. 

The group, comprised of police, County’s Human Rights Commission members, County Police Board members, African-American clergy and justice advocates, will be tasked with recommending reforms that are needed to ensure all police officers understand how to avoid implicit racism or any bias behavior in the conduct of their duties.

View full remarks here: https://youtu.be/AISRrS7mRQg

To read the full statement, please click here: Latimer Statement
The Westchester Board of Rabbi's Executive Committee has put together a statement in response to the tragic death of George Floyd and the wound of police violence that it represents. 

To read the full statement, please click here .
Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA) has issued a Statement of Solidarity with 130 signatories including the Westchester Jewish Council

Please view here .
WELCOME NEW BUSINESS PARTNERS
We would like to welcome our new Business Partner, Good Counsel Services, Inc . They are a 501(c)(3) organization located in the Chelsea neighborhood in Manhattan. They provide affordable access to legal advocacy and counseling to social entrepreneurs and emerging non-profits. In addition, they take on a handful of immigration clients, such as asylum seekers, to address a growing legal need in our community. 
Click here to learn more.
Welcome to Westgate Resorts . One of their properties is located in New York City. It is a classic hotel near Grand Central Station in Midtown Manhattan. An iconic retreat that offers easy access to all the best New York City landmarks, Westgate New York Grand Central is the premier choice for hotels near Grand Central Station in Midtown Manhattan. For more information, please click here .
PROGRAMMING AND EVENTS YOU CAN ENJOY FROM HOME
visit the full Community Calendar at www.wjcouncil.org
"Getting to What's Next: A Virtual Series to Plan for 2020-2021"
A 3-series facilitated workshop supporting educators towards an actionable plan for 2020. Geared for educational leaders of early childhood, day school, congregational and independent settings and a team of 1 - 5 others who contribute to education vision and/or implementation. More info at this link:
 

DEADLINE TO APPLY IS TODAY!
**New Date is June 21**
Celebrate Israel Parade 2020 -
June 21st 1pm EST
The 2020 Virtual Celebrate Israel Parade will have a theme of Todah (thank you in Hebrew). Join us in thanking all the healthcare, first responder and other frontline workers in New York, across the United States, in Israel, and around the world. It will also be an opportunity to thank our donors, sponsors, marching groups, and spectators for the past 55 years of parades and look forward to being together on 5th Avenue next year.

The Virtual Celebrate Israel Parade will premiere here Sunday, June 21st at 1 pm eastern time!

#CelebrateIsrael #TogetherAtHome #TodahFrontlineHeroes
When Things Fall Apart: a Theology Rooted in the Real
with Rabbi Aviva Richman
Mondays, June 8, 15, 22 at 2:00PM
Our immediate reaction when things go wrong may be to doubt or to turn away from God, to sever the relationship because it feels outside and out-of-place in our real experience. But what if our connection to God is, in fact, rooted in those very experiences. In this 3-part series, we will study core motifs in texts from classical midrash to hasidut that insist that our relationship to God grow out of, and not in spite of, the reality in which we find ourselves, however "unideal."


If you have any questions, please click here .
Nadav Shachmon was supposed to be our guest speaker for Pride Shabbat at Beth El Synagogue Center in New Rochelle . Instead he will be videotaping his talk on gay life in Israel.  It will be available on Friday, June 19th for a virtual "Pride Shabbat". Members of our congregation will be emailed the link that Friday, but everyone is encouraged to go to our website bethelnr.org to find the link and hear his presentation. 
Temple Sharay Tefila Pride Shabbat
Join Temple Sharay Tefila on Friday, June 19th at 7:30pm for an inspirational Shabbat with guest speaker Nadav Shachmon, the Westchester community Shaliach.

For more information or to join the LGBTQ committee, please conctact karyngallant@msn.com or judyfensterman58@gmail.com.
WESTCHESTER JEWISH COUNCIL'S
SECURITY AND SAFETY UPDATE
" By  failing  to  prepare you  are  preparing to fail" B. Franklin
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.
UJA-FEDERATION OF NEW YORK IN WESTCHESTER
J-Teen Leadership Year End Celebration

Mazel tov to J-Teen Leadership's graduating seniors who will be recognized this Sunday, June 7 at their virtual year-end celebration. Questions? Contact Guy Felixbrodt
Guiding Wisdom for Building Resiliency and Inner Strength
Join UJA Westchester on Monday, June 15, at 12:00 noon for an inspiring lunch and learn. Immerse yourself in the ancient wisdom of kabbalah with renowned spiritual leader Ruth Rosenberg, as she guides us in understanding ways we can build resiliency and strength at this challenging time. Open to all. No fee but registration required.
UJA Community Webinars and Events
Join us for free  webinars  (including a warm, pre-Shabbat community gathering every Friday)   and  virtual events , for both personal and professional use. 
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 :

Greening Roundtable - coming soon
Marketing Roundtable - coming soon

Contact the Council office at (914) 328-7001 for information on these and other Roundtables--a key offering of the Westchester Jewish Council.
ON A PERSONAL NOTE
Mazal Tov to:

All of the volunteers who are being honored this evening at the Julian Y. Bernstein Distinguished Service Awards Ceremony.

All of the Westchester rabbis that took part in our program INTRODUCTION TO JUDAISM which was presented by The Westchester Board of Rabbis, UJA and The Westchester Jewish Council:

Rabbi Jonathan Jaffe - Temple Beth El of Northern Westchester
Rabbi Howard Goldsmith - Congregation Emanu-El of Rye
Rabbi Daniel Gropper - Community Synagogue of Rye
Rabbie Jordie Gerson - Greenwich Reform Temple
Rabbi Molly Karp
Rabbi Daniel Sayani - Young Israel of Baychester
Rabbi Wendy Pein - Temple Beth El of Northern Westchester
Rabbi Fredda Cohen- White Plains Hospital
Rabbi Ben Goldberg - Congregation Kneses Tifereth Israel (KTI)
ODDS AND ENDS
Check out Foremost Caterers new June menu here .
Celebrate Father's Day with a Dad's Box from Silverleaf Caterers.

Email orders to info@silverleafcaterers.com . Orders must be placed by June 17th.
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 June 11, 2020.