Jewish Heritage-NY

JHNY expanded Jewish Heritage Week more than 25 years ago, promoting year-round celebrations highlighted by the national Jewish American Heritage Month in May.

JHNY, a decades-long project of JCRC-NY, was designed to show how the New York Jewish community’s status as the center of the American Jewish experience has helped to shape the landscapes of New York, America, Israel and the world. JHNY events and activities focus on the history, culture, people, values, traditions, achievements and contributions of the New York Jewish community. It seeks to increase awareness within the Jewish and non-Jewish communities of New York’s extraordinary Jewish heritage and encourages New Yorkers and out-of-towners to visit our wide variety of Jewish cultural and historical institutions.

Due to reduced staff resources, the project has been limited in recent years, focusing on celebrations with elected officials and occasional Jewish Heritage Day theme outings at sporting events. We are indebted to Jewish Heritage Week Founding Chair Judith Shapiro and JHNY Founding Chair Howard Teich for their dedication to both projects.  Howard continued his efforts to recognize Jewish New Yorkers, and we encourage you to visit the websites of the Jewish Historical Initiatives that he founded in the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Manhattan as well as the Jewish Historical Societies on Long Island and Staten Island.  The Society in Queens was operational from 2005-2017, and its archives are available at The Center for Jewish History.

Bronx

Brooklyn

Long Island

Manhattan

Staten Island

We hope to reinvigorate JHNY in the future and will post updates here.

The Toby Nussbaum Jewish Heritage-NY Writing Contest

The contest was suspended beginning in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Participation in the contest decreased even before the pandemic due to educational reform that diminished the effectiveness of contests in engaging students.

In 2008, Toby Nussbaum’s family dedicated the annual Jewish Heritage-NY Contest in her memory. We are truly grateful to the Nussbaum family, in particular Bernard Nussbaum, z”l, for his most generous support of the contest, and Dale Nussbaum and JCRC-NY Board Member Michael Nussbaum, for co-chairing the contest for more than 20 years.  Toby, JCRC-NY Vice President and Member of the Board of Directors for many years, was a compassionate, accomplished woman who truly represented the best of New York and its Jewish community. The contest impacted thousands of students and helped shape their perspectives on the Jewish people and our values and contributions and better appreciate the commonalities between diverse ethnic and religious groups. 

2019

NY Mets’ Celebrate Israel Day – August 25th

Brooklyn Cyclones’ Jewish Heritage Night – June 23rd

NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Jewish Heritage Reception at Gracie Mansion – June 13th

Toby Nussbaum Writing Contest

JHNY2019 supports the Celebrate Israel Parade – June 2nd

Affiliated with Jewish American Heritage Month – May

JCRC-NY Drafts U.S. Presidential Proclamation

2018

NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Jewish Heritage Reception at Gracie Mansion – June 26th

Brooklyn Cyclones’ Jewish Heritage Night – June 19th

Toby Nussbaum Writing Contest

Staten Island Yankees’ Jewish Heritage Day – September 2nd

JHNY2018 supports the Celebrate Israel Parade – June 3rd

Affiliated with Jewish American Heritage Month – May

JCRC-NY Drafts U.S. Presidential Proclamation

NY Mets’ Celebrate Israel Night – April 18th

2017

Brooklyn Cyclones’ Jewish Heritage Night – August 24th

NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Jewish Heritage Reception at Gracie Mansion – June 27th

Toby Nussbaum Writing Contest

JHNY2017 supports the Celebrate Israel Parade – June 4th

NY Mets’ Celebrate Israel Night May 24th

NYC Council Celebrates Jewish Heritage – May 23rd

Affiliated with Jewish American Heritage Month – May

2016

Toby Nussbaum Writing Contest

JHNY2016 supports Team Israel in the World Baseball Classic Qualifier – September 22nd

Staten Island Yankees’ Jewish Heritage Night – August 17th

NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Jewish Heritage Night Reception – June 29th

Brooklyn Cyclones’ Jewish Heritage Night – June 21st

JHNY2016 supports the Celebrate Israel Parade – June 5th

NY Mets’ Celebrate Israel Night – May 31st

Affiliated with Jewish American Heritage Month – May

2015

Toby Nussbaum Writing Contest

Brooklyn Cyclones Jewish Heritage Day – August 2nd

Staten Island Yankees’ Jewish Heritage Night – July 15th

NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Jewish Heritage Reception – June 11th

JHNY2015 supports the Celebrate Israel Parade – May 31st

NY Mets’ Celebrate Israel Night – May 26th

Affiliated with Jewish American Heritage Month – May

2014

NY Mets’ Jewish Heritage Day – August 17th

Toby Nussbaum Writing Contest

NY Mets’ Celebrate Israel Night – June 11th

NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Jewish Heritage Reception – June 2nd

JHNY2014 supports the Celebrate Israel Parade – June 1st

JHNY2014 supports the Celebrate Israel Run – June 1st

Affiliated with Jewish American Heritage Month – May

Events with elected officials

2013

NY Mets’ Jewish Heritage Day

Toby Nussbaum Writing Contest

NY Mets’ Celebrate Israel Night

JHNY2013 supports the Celebrate Israel Parade – June 2

JHNY2013 supports the Celebrate Israel Run – June 2

Affiliated with Jewish American Heritage Month – May

Events with elected officials

2012

NY Mets’ Jewish Heritage Day

Toby Nussbaum Writing Contest

NY Mets’ Celebrate Israel Night – May 30 (PDF)

JHNY2012 supports the Celebrate Israel Parade – June 3

JHNY2012 supports the Celebrate Israel Run – June 3

Affiliated with Jewish American Heritage Month – May

Events with elected officials

Questions – Contact – Jewish Heritage-NY

2021

Double Play: Jews in Baseball Moderated by 2021 Gala Honoree Ari Ackerman on YouTube

Passover Food Tasting with NYS Senators

Favorite Hamantaschen with NYS Assembly Members Celebrating Purim