Local

On Sunday, February 2, the UJA-Federation of New York’s Manhattan headquarters hosted the 2025 Congressional Breakfast – a flagship event organized by the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York (JCRC-NY). The gathering brought together local representatives, elected officials, community leaders, and key figures from the Jewish community for a morning of structured dialogue and policy discussion, all centered on shared communal priorities.

The Bach Jewish Center recently partnered with the Orthodox Union’s Yachad to host its annual Shabbaton filled with social, educational, and spiritual activities in honor of Jewish Disabilities Awareness, Acceptance, and Inclusion Month (JDAIM).

On the evening of January 29, the New York City Council held a poignant event to commemorate the 80^th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. This solemn occasion, marked by reflection, remembrance, and a renewed commitment to combating hate, was coordinated by Pesach Osina of City Council Speaker Adrienne E. Adams office, and Jewish Caucus Chair Council Member Eric Dinowitz. A host of esteemed elected officials attended. The event was made possible through the partnership of Yad Vashem, The World’s Holocaust Remembrance Center, and the UJA Federation of New York.

The Coalition for Jewish Values (CJV), representing over 2,500 traditional, Orthodox rabbis in American public policy, today thanked President Trump for his Executive Order imposing renewed sanctions on the International Criminal Court, due to what the President called its “illegitimate and baseless actions.” CJV called sanctions a “moral imperative” when calling for passage of the Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act last month.

The NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating a brutal antisemitic assault that took place on a northbound F train in Jamaica Hills during the morning rush hour on Monday, Jan. 13. The violent attack occurred at approximately 7 a.m. as the train was approaching the Parsons Boulevard subway station.

Susan Cleary, a longtime community leader and tireless advocate, passed away on December 28, 2024, at the age of 82. Born on October 2, 1942, in Jamaica, Queens, and raised in Chicago where she graduated from the Illinois Institute of Technology, Institute of Design, Susan devoted much of her life to public service and civic engagement. Personally, I was touched by Susan’s desire to participate in a Chazaq/Chaverim Ukrainian refugee drive, bringing essentials from her home for those sheltered in Poland.