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Statement from JCRC-NY on the Tragic Bronx Fire

January 09, 2022

January 9, 2022 – Our hearts are grieving for the 19 lives lost – including nine children – during today’s tragic fire in the Bronx, which also left over sixty people injured.  As noted by Mayor Eric Adams, we offer our hearts and help to the residents of the community affected, many of whom are African Muslims.  We are grateful to our longtime partner, Sheikh Musa Drammeh, for being on the scene to console the community at this devastating time, and we are in active discussion about how to best help the victims with this trauma.  We also thank the FDNY, many of whom risked their lives without oxygen tanks, for their bravery and heroism in rescuing the victims.

Dr. Torian Easterling briefs Jewish Community Leadership on Supervised Injection Sites

January 05, 2022

January 5, 2022 – JCRC-NY hosted a special briefing for Jewish organizational leaders on the recently established Supervised Injection Sites / Overdose Prevention Centers in New York City.  New York City recently became the first city in the U.S. to authorize supervised injection sites, drawing much attention.

The briefing drew Jewish organizational leaders from across the religious, political and geographic spectrum in New York. Not only did it address an important emerging issue, it also illustrated JCRC-NY’s critical role as the table where Jewish leaders can gather to learn about and discuss key issues of the day.

While JCRC-NY has not taken a position on the initiative, we are grateful to Dr. Torian Easterling, First Deputy Commissioner and Chief Equity Officer of the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, who joined us to present the benefits of these sites from a public health perspective and address some of the misconceptions and controversies surrounding them.  He believes that were it not for COVID-19, addiction crisis would be the top medical issue in the City.

For context, Dr. Easterling is well-known for his frequent public service announcements to urge New Yorkers to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and many other key public health issues.  Last year, JCRC honored Dr. Easterling with our annual Martin Luther King Award for his work in addressing healthcare disparities exacerbated by the pandemic, and we continue to appreciate his leadership on this and many other public health issues.

The New York Times has noted that “opponents view [them] as magnets for drug abuse, but proponents praise [them] as providing a less punitive and more effective approach to addressing addiction.”  NPR reported last week that NYC Mayor Eric Adams supports the continued existence of these sites, and health officials are currently exploring the expansion of these sites.  As such, this new initiative will continue to impact our Jewish community and many other New Yorkers suffering from drug addiction.

Click HERE to watch the video.

Statement on the Death of Yao Pan Ma

January 01, 2022

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.

Hate! The Way Out Conference

November 23, 2021

Click image for video.

Jewish Press Article – 12/10/21

Thursday, December 2nd
9:00 am – 12:30 pm
UJA-Federation of New York
130 E. 59th Street, Manhattan

Recent rises in hate have cast a dark shadow across our neighborhoods, city, and nation. As part of “Shine A Light Week” in partnership with UJA-Federation of New York, the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York sponsored “Hate! The Way Out.” This convening featured Peter Coleman, Chair of the Morton Deutsch Center for Conflict Resolution at Columbia University and author of The Way Out: How to Overcome Toxic Polarization, a panel of diverse community leaders whose communities have been plagued by hate, and breakout sessions.

Featuring Keynote Speaker:
Peter Coleman
Chair, The Morton Deutsch International Center for Cooperation and Conflict Resolution at Columbia University

Panelists:
Gary Anthony Ramsay – Moderator
Vice President, Inclusion, Equity & Polycultural Consulting, BCW Global

Devorah Halberstam
Brooklyn Jewish Children’s Museum

Wayne Ho
Chinese-American Planning Council

Frankie Miranda
Hispanic Federation

Pastor Gilford Monrose
67th Precinct Clergy Council

Mohammed Razvi
Council of People’s Organizations

Beverly Tillery
NYC Anti-Violence Project

Program Agenda:
Breakfast and Networking
Greetings and Welcoming – Louisa Chafee, UJA-Federation of New York and Gideon Taylor, JCRC-NY
Keynote Speaker: Peter Coleman  – Toxic Polarity: The Way Out
Panel – Hate Through the Lens of Those Impacted
Breakout Sessions:

  • Hate and Community Partnerships – Mark Appel, The Bridge Community Organizing
  • Preventing Hate through Government Partnerships – Deborah Lauter, Mayor’s Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes
  • Hate on College Campuses – Sophia McGee and Monica Roman, CERRU at Queens College
  • Hate and Gun Violence – Pastor Louis Straker

Closing & Next Steps

 

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