January 1, 2022 – JCRC-NY mourns the tragic and untimely passing of Yao Pan Ma, 61, a Chinese immigrant who was hospitalized after being the victim of a brutal, unprovoked, anti-Asian attack on April 23rd, 2021.  He succumbed to his injuries on December 31st.  Our hearts are with his widow, Baozhen Chen, and their family. As New Yorkers continue to witness a steady rise in hate crimes, JCRC-NY stands in solidarity with the Asian communities of New York in our resolve to eliminate hate and violence from our City.

In the coming weeks, JCRC-NY, in partnership with the Mayor’s Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes, will launch its We Are all Brooklyn Fellowship Against Hate bringing together diverse community leaders and providing them with tools to work together to help rid New York of the hate and bigotry that plagues us.

Lt. Governor Kathy Hochul has proven herself to be a crucial friend to NY Jewish communities. She has spoken out against antisemitism and championed the cause of security for Jews and Jewish institutions.

We look forward to working with her as she becomes NY’s 57th Governor.

Letter of Congratulations

 

JCRC-NY Statement on Ben & Jerry’s Ending West Bank Ice Cream Sales

Monday, July 19, 2021

 

At its core, Ben and Jerry’s decision to end ice cream sales in the West Bank is a misguided capitulation to the demands of the insidious BDS movement.  While masquerading as a movement for peace and justice, BDS ultimately seeks to eradicate Israel, the world’s only Jewish and democratic state, and deny the rights of Jewish people to self-determination.  The acquiescence to this stance by its parent company, Unilever, is equally troubling.

The New York Jewish community overwhelmingly opposes the BDS movement and supports the existence of Israel.  As such, JCRC-NY urges Unilever to reject this decision, to disavow the BDS movement and to invest in programs that bring Israelis and Palestinians together to build an atmosphere of peace and cooperation.  Peace will only be achieved through dialogue, not boycotts.

 

Cheryl Fishbein                        Gideon Taylor

President                                 Executive Vice President and CEO

 

 

Print the statement here.

Please note, the following has already been delivered to the downstate New York Congressional delegation.

Read the Full letter in support of the No Hate Act and the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act from over 100 diverse faith and ethnic groups in downstate New York.

Call to Action: New Yorkers Support the No Hate Act

With the present rise in anti–Asian hate, we as New Yorkers stand together in support of the newly reintroduced bipartisan Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act (H.R. 2383; S. 1086) and the COVID-19 HATE CRIMES Act (H.R. 1824; S. 728). We, the undersigned, urge our elected leaders to swiftly pass these crucial bills through the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate.

Hate, and the crimes associated with it, have precipitously increased in our nation. According to the 2019 Hate Crime Statistics released by the FBI, hate crimes have risen to the highest levels in a decade. The Stop AAPI Hate reporting center fielded approximately 3,800 incidents of anti-Asian hate from March 2020 to February 2021. Yet this number is most likely only a fraction of what the community actually experienced.

The annual FBI report consistently underestimates the number of hate crimes, as participation in the FBI’s hate crime data collection system by local law enforcement agencies is not mandatory. There are many reasons why an incident might not be reported to the FBI, i.e. victims might be afraid to report, law enforcement officers might lack the training to identify hate crimes, or law enforcement agencies might be using outdated reporting systems, all of which pose a significant obstacle in addressing this crisis. Incomplete data reporting undermines minority communities’ protection by misrepresenting the extent of the problem, thus hindering a commensurate national effort to address rising hate in the United States.

Now, more than ever, we must provide better tools and resources to track and analyze hate crimes. This effort is only the start of our road to recovery and healing. Congress can and must take this constructive first step in providing the resources and tools law enforcement needs to collect state and local hate crimes data. In turn, this will facilitate more accurate and applicable guidelines for the protection of communities facing such assaults. That is why we support passage of the bipartisan, bicameral Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act and urge its adoption.

The following are the first signers to this Call for Action:

• Jewish Community Relations Council of New York
• Asian American Federation
• Council of Peoples Organization
• Hispanic Federation
• The Korean-American Association of Greater New York
• National Association for the Advancement of Colored People New York State Conference
• UJA-Federation of New York

Additional Signatories:

• American Jewish Committee
• Asian Americans for Equality
• Association of Jewish Employees
• Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Roman Catholic Church
• Be’chol Lashon
• Bronx Christian Fellowship Church
• Bronx Clergy Task Force
• Brooklyn Heights Interfaith Clergy Association
• Brooklyn Meeting, Religious Society of Friends
• Central Synagogue
• Christ Church Cobble Hill, Brooklyn
• Christian Cultural Center
• Church of God’s Children
• City Harvest
• COJO of Staten Island
• Congregation Beit Aharon, Riverdale, Bronx, NY
• Congregation Mount Sinai
• Congregation Sons of Israel, Woodmere, NY
• Congregation Tehillah
• Danish Seamen’s Church
• Department of Intercultural Engagement and Inclusion at Hofstra University
• Ecclesia Ministries of New York
• Educational Alliance
• Ethical Humanist Society of Long Island
• Family & Children’s Association (FCA)
• Federation of Korean American Associations of North Eastern USA
• First Unitarian Congregational Society, Brooklyn
• Grace Church Brooklyn Heights
• Grand St. Settlement
• Greater New York Labor-Religion Coalition
• Hadassah
• Hebrew Educational Society
• Hewlett-East Rockaway Jewish Centre
• Hillels at Baruch, City, John Jay, SVA, Pace University, FIT, New School and Fordham University
• Hispanic Health Network
• Hollaback!
• Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center
• Human Services Council of New York
• Jamaica Muslim Center
• Jewish Community Center of Staten Island
• Jewish Community Council of Greater Coney Island
• Jewish Community Relations Council of Long Island
• Jewish Labor Committee
• JLC
• L.I. Center for Independent Living, Inc
• Latino Pastoral Action Center, Inc.
• Long Island Board of Rabbis
• Malverne Jewish Center
• Meaningful Communications Matter, LLC
• Merrick Jewish Centre
• Metro North Region, B’nai B’rith International
• Mid Island Y JCC
• Midway Jewish Center, Syosset Long Island, NY
• Museum at Eldridge Street
• National Council of Jewish Women New York
• Neighborhood Housing Services of Jamaica, Inc.
• New York Disaster Interfaith Services (NYDIS)
• New York Metro Joint Board Workers United
• North American Board of Rabbis
• North Country Reform Temple
• Nusantara Foundation
• Office of the Manhattan Borough President
• Office of Bronx County District Attorney
• Oratory Church of St. Boniface
• Plymouth Church
• Presbytery of New York City
• Repair the World NY
• Riverdale YM-YWHA
• Shorefront YM-YWHA of Brighton-Manhattan Beach, Inc.
• Sid Jacobson JCC
• Simon Wiesenthal Center
• South Asian American Voice- SAAVOICE
• St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church
• Suffolk YJCC
• Telugu Literary And Cultural Association
• Temple Beth Torah, Melville, NY
• Temple Chaverim
• The Bridge Multicultural Project
• The Community Synagogue of Port Washington
• The First Presbyterian Church of Brooklyn
• The Harold & Elaine Shames JCC on the Hudson
• The Health & Housing Consortium, Inc.
• The Hindu Temple Society of North America
• The Holocaust, Genocide and Interfaith Education Center, Manhattan College
• The Interfaith Center of New York
• The Marion & Aaron Gural JCC
• The Micah Institute
• The New York Board of Rabbis
• UA3, Inc.
• UFT Retired Teachers Chapter
• Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America
• United Hebrew Trades – New York Jewish Labor Committee
• UNITED SIKHS
• Westchester Jewish Council
• YAFFED
• YM & YWHA of Washington Heights and Inwood
• YouthBridge-NY

Click here for the full press release.

Media Contacts: Nancy Haberman, nhaberman@rubenstein.com , 917-881-0635
Robin Verges, rverges@rubenstein.com , 646-319-1113
Deborah Raskin, draskin@rubenstein.com , 914-645-9140

Jewish Community Relations Council of New York

Appoints New Chief Executive Officer

NEW YORK CITY – March 24, 2021 – The Board of Directors of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York (JCRC-NY) announced the appointment of Gideon Taylor as Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer as of July 1, 2021 ushering in a new chapter in the leadership of New York’s most prominent Jewish community relations and advocacy organization.

Mr. Taylor has served as a member of the JCRC-NY Board of Directors for the past five years and will succeed current Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer Michael S. Miller, who will conclude his longstanding tenure on June 30, 2021 after more than 36 years at the helm of the organization.

With a history of leadership, Mr. Taylor is Executive Vice President of EWKA, Inc., a commercial real estate company in New York. In June 2020, Mr. Taylor was elected as lay President of the Board of Directors of the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference), the entity responsible for Holocaust restitution negotiations and social welfare programs for Nazi victims worldwide. He previously served as Executive Vice President of the Claims Conference and as Assistant Executive Vice President of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee.

In September 2020, a Search Committee was formed, and following a six-month search, the committee presented its recommendation to the Executive Committee which in turn conveyed its unanimous choice to the full Board at its meeting today.

“Gideon is a passionate and well-respected leader who has served the diverse New York Jewish community locally as well as the wider Jewish community internationally. At this critical moment, as our community faces increased levels of antisemitism, internal polarization, and a changing political landscape, we are delighted that Gideon has been selected to lead JCRC-NY into the future,” said JCRC-NY President Cheryl Fishbein.

“For decades, JCRC-NY has fostered meaningful relationships with the political, ethnic, and faith leadership of New York. As our city continues to evolve and diversify, we are confident that Gideon’s advocacy and leadership will be a positive force for the collective good of the Jewish community and our neighbors throughout New York City, Long Island, and Westchester,” said Jonathan Greenspun, Chair of the Search Committee and Managing Director at Mercury Public Affairs.

“As we emerge from the pandemic, we are aware that the coming years will bring other unique challenges for JCRC-NY and the New York Jewish community – some discernible and some that we cannot forecast,” said Taylor. “I intend to continue the essential work of building close relationships within the Jewish community and strengthening our commitment to build impactful coalitions with the many diverse communities that make up our City.”

Michael S. Miller noted, “JCRC-NY is very fortunate to have Gideon Taylor as my successor and its next CEO. His work on the international scale has benefitted innumerable Jewish communities, including many Holocaust survivors in New York. I have worked with Gideon both in his role as a Jewish professional and as a lay leader and have witnessed his dedication to strengthening our Jewish community and his commitment to building bridges of understanding with others.”

“UJA-Federation is a proud supporter and partner of JCRC-NY in the community relations and advocacy arena,” said Eric S. Goldstein, Chief Executive Officer of UJA-Federation of New York. “We welcome Gideon as the new CEO of JCRC-NY. He is an accomplished leader, and we look forward to working with him, and the entire JCRC-NY team, in building stronger bridges across our community.”

William C. Daroff, Chief Executive Officer of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations said: “I have often sought Gideon’s guidance on effectively engaging Members of
Congress, the Executive Branch, and international governments on issues pertaining to Holocaust
survivors and property restitution. Gideon is a trusted advisor and confidante who knows the New
York civic and political scene very well.”

Originally from Dublin, Ireland, Mr. Taylor is a law graduate of Trinity College in Dublin and received his master’s degree in law from Oxford University. He is admitted as an attorney in the State of New York, Ireland and the United Kingdom.

ABOUT JCRC-NY

JCRC-NY, a proud UJA-Federation of NY agency, serves as the primary community relations agency for the Jewish community in the metropolitan New York area. As an active force in New York civic and communal life, JCRC-NY operates as a central coordinating and resource body to: (1) Be a common table to cultivate understanding and joint action amongst diverse groups within the Jewish community; (2) Cultivate deeper relationships with the broader New York community to address critical issues and engender a shared society; (3) Ensure the security of the Jewish community in the face of rising antisemitism; and (4) Foster understanding and appreciation for the Jewish community’s relationship with Israel, and to increase knowledge, exposure, and support for Israel among diverse groups of New Yorkers.

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Additional Comments

Amy A. B. Bressman, President, UJA-Federation of New York
“We at UJA welcome Gideon Taylor to his role as CEO of JCRC-NY. He is an outstanding leader who will bring much to the work of the JCRC. We are looking forward to working with him to advance the Jewish community relations agenda and wish him much good luck in this new position.”

Alisa Doctoroff, past President of UJA-Federation of New York
“Gideon Taylor is a highly experienced and tested leader whose understanding of the JCRC of the future, combined with his passion for representing the values and interests of the New York Jewish community will serve JCRC and our City well.”

Stuart Eizenstat, former Deputy-Secretary of the US Treasury; Special Negotiator of the Claims Conference
“I have often worked side-by-side with Gideon Taylor observing his keen knowledge and sound judgement. With his exceptional ability, leadership experience in the Jewish world, and the trust of US government officials that he has earned, Gideon is an excellent choice to lead JCRC-NY into the future.”

Abe Foxman, Holocaust Survivor; former National Director of the Anti-Defamation League
“I have seen Gideon’s tenacity and determination to help the thousands of survivors living in New York receive the reparations and services they require. These skills will serve him well in his advocacy for the Jewish community as CEO of JCRC-NY.”

Robyn Polansky Morrison, Founder & Lead Principal of MORR Strategy LLC; Secretary of JCRC-NY
“Through the process of finding the right candidate who will continue to ensure the continuity, interests, and vitality of the diverse metropolitan Jewish community and who will continue building bridges between New Yorkers of all age groups, religious movements, nationalities, and political persuasions, Gideon Taylor has outstandingly acknowledged a deep understanding of the significance of this work as well as his steadfast commitment. I look forward to collaborating with Gideon particularly on engaging the next generation for JCRC-NY.”

Sol Werdiger, Chairman of Agudath Israel of America’s Board of Trustees
“Gideon Taylor has worked with Orthodox Jewish communities in both professional and volunteer capacities ensuring that the most vulnerable of us are cared for with humanity and respect. We are blessed to continue working with him in this new capacity.”