QUEENS BP MARSHALL INSTALLS N.E.Q. JEWISH COMMUNITY COUNCIL OFFICERS
HONOR LABOR LEADER ROSENZWEIG & COUNCIL FINANCE CHAIR WEPRIN

Queens Borough President Helen Marshall installed Jeffrey Gurdus (Bellerose Jewish Center) to a second term as President of the Northeast Queens Jewish Community Council (NEQJCC), Sunday Novemeber 3 at a packed breakfast at Bellerose Jewish Center,said NEQJCC Chairman of the Executive Committee Corey Bearak, who added the program included honors to Fire Alarm Dispatchers Benevolent Association President David Rosenzweig, and its own long-time officer and community activist, City Council Finance Committee Chairman David I. Weprin.

New Yorl City Central Labor Council President Brian McLaughlin presented the Council's Award for Outstanding Service to the Community of Greater New York to Mr. Rosenzweig, also President of the Civil Service Merit Council, and Queens District Attorney Richard Brown presented the Council's Award for Outstanding Service to the Northeast Queens Community to Councilman Weprin, according to NEQJCC past-President Joseph Varon [Young Israel of New Hyde Park & Queens Jewish Committee on Scouting].  Others speakers included Members of Congress Joseph Crowley and Anthony Weiner and NYC Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum. City Council Members Melinda Katz and James Gennaro also joined Weprin in a presentation to his co-honoree.  State Senators Toby Stavisky and Frank Padavan , Members of the Assembly Ann Margaret Carrozza and Mark Weprin, and Civil Court Judge Bernice D. Siegal also attended, according to NEQJCC Executive Director Gail Eisenberg.


In addition to Jeffrey Gurdus [Bellerose Jewish Center], Borough President Marshall installed First Vice President Helene Zaro [Bell Park Jewish Center], Second Vice President Ethel Levine [Hillcrest Jewish Center], Third Vice President David Weprin [Young Israel of Holliswood and Young Israel of Jamaica Estates], Secretary Dr. Leonard Stieglitz  [Jewish Center of Bayside Hills]  and Treasurer Michael Karpinos [Oakland Jewish Center].

Community and communal leaders also attended this annual event, including Democratic Leaders Chet Szarejko, Honey Miller, Martha Taylor, Rory Lancman and Uma Sengupta, Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater New York Director Rabbi Robert Kaplan, Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty Chief Financial Officer Herb Friedman and Project Liberty Director Kalman Yeger, Hadassah National Board member  and Queens Jewish Commnity Council Past President Dr. Sandra Alfonsi who chaired the NEQJCC's Israel Gifts Fair, Queens Jewish Community Council President Jan Fenster, Executive Director Manny Behar and Past-President Daniel Friedenreich who is also President of  Bell Park Jewish Center, Past NEQJCC Presidents Rabbi Meyer Bilitzky, Dr. Arnold Honig and Joseph M. Varon, Samuel Field YM&YWHA Board of Trustees Chair William Frumkin and Executive Director Steven Goodman,Jewish Board of Family and Childrens Services/Pride of Judea Executive Director Paul Scharf,  Rabbis Murray Stadtmauer (Jewish Center of Baside Hills), Evan Radler (Hillcrest Jewish Center), Shlomo Steinig (Young Israel of Bayside) and Marc Penner (Young Israel of Holliswood) who delivered the invocation and Devar Torah, Bellerose Jewish Center President Jeff Berzon, Manny Korman of the Council of Supervisors and Administrators, Manhattan and Bronx Chapter of the Federal Retirees President Charles Salk, Lois Raff who is Counsel to the Queens District Attorney, Consultant Joel Schnur, former Jackson-Height Elmhurst Kehillah President Susie Tanenbaum who serves as an aide to the Queens Borough President, Joseph Goldbloom who served as Chief of Staff to the Council's former Deputy Majority Leader,Central Queens Historical Society President Jeff Gottlieb, former NEQJCC officers  Susan Fogel, Larry Greenberg, Marcia Federman, Royal Ranch Homeowners President Rhonda Kontner, Macon B. Allen Black Bar Association President Helen Cooper Gregory, Eleanor Roosevelt Democratic Club President Lori Rodman, Little Neck Douglaston Memorial Day Parade Committee Chairman Jim Rogers, Rabbi David Winter of the Human Services Foundation, Community Board members  Sylvia Weprin (8) and Bess DeBetham (13), Federated Blocks of Laurelton President Donald Boncoeur, Eastern Queens Democratic Club President Lois Marbach, Hilltop Village Cooperative President Marc Haken who also serves a a Community Affairs Coordinator for Council Finance Chair Weprin

Mr. Bearak said the NEQJCC, an association of 29 synagogues and other religious, education, fraternal and community organizations, covers Bay Terrace, Bayside, Bellerose, Douglaston, Floral Park, Fresh Meadows, Glen Oaks, Holliswood, Hollis Hills, Jamaica Estates, Little Neck, New Hyde Park, Oakland Gardens and Queens Village (north).

"Our projects include Project Liberty, neighborhood development, Jewish continuity, Lay Leadership, social action, fostering intergroup understanding and building a multi-cultural coalition," said Mr. Bearak.  "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.  It also maintains a community website, www.northeastqueensjewish.org, which features a calendar for its members to post events of interest."

Mr. Gurdus said annual programs include its Installation of Officers and Awards Breakfast each fall, the lighting of the largest Chanukah Menorah in Queens, a Purim Carnival at the Samuel Field YM&YWHA, and its annual Legislative Forum each Spring, co-sponsored by the Queens Jewish Community Council (QJCC), at the Y.  "Our Neighborhood Development program includes a unique pilot program to bring the resources of UJA-Federation agencies to NEQJCC member synagogues."  This year, the Council, together with Queens Region Hadassah and the Consulate of Israel, hosted the Ben Yeduda Street Comes to Bayside, an Israeli Gifts Fair, Sunday, October 27 at Bayside Jewish Center, which attracted thousands of visitors who purchased direct from Israeli merchants and listened to Israeli entertainers.  Dr. Sandra Alfonsi chaired and coordinated the fair.

A beneficiary of UJA-Federation, 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, noted Executive Director Gail Eisenberg who can be reached at (718) 225-6750 x247 or via email at gail@northeastqueensjewish.org.  For more information on NEQJCC's collaboration with QJCC and Met Council on Project Liberty, email 911outreach@metcouncil.org.

[Editors note: Seven photos are currently available via email (JPEG format; see the link in this section):

*Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum addressing NEQJCC Installation and Awards Breakfast

*Chairman Corey Bearak opens the Installation and Awards Breakfast

*New York City Central Labor Council President Brian McLaughlin presents award to New York City Fire Alarm Dispatchers Benevolent Association President David Rosenzweig

*President Jeff Gurdus addresses audience as Vice Presidents David Weprin and Helen Zaro look on.

*President Jeff Gurdus installed by Queens Borough President Helen Marshall as Vice Presidents Ethel Levine and Helen Zaro look on.

*President Jeff Gurdus and Chairman Corey Bearak join Queens District Attorney Richard Brown in presenting award to honoree David Weprin

*Queens Borough President Helen Marshall intalls Treasurer Mike Karpinos, Secretary Dr. Len Stieglitz, and Vice Presidents David Weprin, Ethel Levin and Helen Zaro.

[credit all photos to Joseph Levine]

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