CONGRESSMAN MEEKS KEYNOTES JEWISH COUNCILS� LEGISLATIVE FORUM 2000, APR. 2

Queens Member of Congress Gregory W. Meeks keynotes Legislative Forum 2000, Sunday, April 2, 2000 - 25 Adar 5760 announced Dr. Sandra Alfonsi, President of the Queens Jewish Community Council ["QJCC"], and Joseph M. Varon, President of the Northeast Queens Jewish Community Council ["NEQJCC"]. "Our Councils are pleased to showcase Greg Meeks, the only U.S. Representative whose district only covers Queens," stated Corey B. Bearak, Chair of the NEQJCC�s Executive Committee and a QJCC Vice President, who arranged the program. The event, hosted by the two councils and co-sponsored by the Samuel Field/ Bay Terrace YM&YWHA, takes place 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon at the "Y", 58-20 Little Neck Parkway in Little Neck. A light breakfast will be served. Admission is free. People wishing to attend are advised to make reservations by March 31. Call the QJCC at (718) 544-9033 or the NEQJCC at (718) 225-6750 extension 247. Legislators who represent the Borough of Queens have been invited.

Dr. Alfonsi said: "We have already been working with all of our newer Members of Congress and look forward to this opportunity to showcase this talented young man to our members and the community."

Mr. Varon stated: "Our Councils enjoy a special partnership and we look forward to working cooperatively to present this Legislative Forum and other events to benefit the Queens and Northeast Queens communities."

QJCC Executive Director Manny Behar added: "This forum presents an important opportunity to show decision-makers the strength and unity of the Queens Jewish community." NEQJCC Executive Director Sharon Nadel noted: "By coming out on April 2, we can be sure that our voices will be heard when critical decisions that impact on our community are made."

An association of 22 synagogues and other religious, education, fraternal and community organizations, the NEQJCC covers Bay Terrace, Bayside, Bellerose, Douglaston, Floral Park, Glen Oaks, Holliswood, Hollis Hills, Jamaica Estates, Little Neck, New Hyde Park, Oakland Gardens and Queens Village (north). Council projects include neighborhood development, Jewish continuity, Lay Leadership, social action, fostering intergroup understanding and building a multi-cultural coalition. The Council combats anti-Semitism and discrimination, sponsors forums with major public figures, Jewish cultural events, open discussions with local Rabbis and represents community concerns. The Council publishes a (4-fold 8.5 by 14-inch) brochure, You Can Have It All, touting life in northeast Queens Communities, including a map locating its member synagogues and institutions. The Council holds its Installation of Officers each fall at a member synagogue. A UJA-Federation beneficiary, the NEQJCC works closely with the QJCC, Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater New York, Metropolitan N.Y. Coordinating Council on Jewish Poverty and the Samuel Field Y.

The Queens Jewish Community Council is an umbrella organization for more than 90 synagogues and institutions throughout the borough. It provides a wide range of social services which include benefits counseling, distribution of security devices to senior citizens, employment placement for new immigrants and distribution of food and emergency assistance to the poor. The Council has sponsored educational and cultural programs and mobilizes the Jewish community's response to issues of concern such as support for Israel, combating anti-Semitism and local issues which impact on the Jewish community.

The Samuel Field YM-YWHA, a not-for-profit Jewish social service organization, provides a comprehensive program of social services and education, recreation and Jewish culture for families, children, teenagers, single parents, adults and seniors, primarily residing in northeast Queens and Great Neck, regardless of race, creed or religion. The Y's commitments to the needs of special populations include quality programs for the mentally retarded, the learning and developmentally disabled, people suffering from dementia and related memory disorders and a mental health service for older adults experiencing emotional and psychological disorders.

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