By Avi Israel
Brooklyn, NY – An overflow crowd of communal figures, joined by elected officials and organizational leaders gathered at the Lipschitz Halls this past Friday December 12th for the annual Boro Park Jewish Community Council (BPJCC) Legislative and Community Tribute Breakfast.
Coming on the heels of recent social unrest in the city and across the nation, as well as the horrific stabbing incident recently at Lubavitch World headquarters in Brooklyn, many of the speakers at the breakfast highlighted the wonderful virtues of our community and in particular noted the magnificent accomplishments of the BPJCC is serving the needy of the community
New York City Public Advocate Letitia James, in a stirring address while accepting the City Leadership Award, praised the Boro Park Community as a “light in this nation” and “the model that everyone shall emulate.” This point was further punctuated by CityCouncilman Dr. Mathieu Eugene, who emotionally recalled how the Jewish community in Boro Park and Flatbush stepped forward in a major way to help provide assistance to a devastating earthquake in his native country of Haiti a number of years ago.
Brooklyn Boro President Eric Adams, in presenting Legislative Leadership Awards to Councilman Eugene, as well as to Councilman Carlos Menchaca, reminded the crowd that when one wants an indication of what Boro Park is about, the question to ask is how are the children, because when the children are fine, the city is fine. The Boro President, to the amusement of the crowd, then challenged them to “drive through Boro Park during school hours and those buses will let you know the children are fine.”
Additional praise of the community came for Chessed Awardee, Alexander Rapaport,Executive Director of Masbia, who noted that even the poor of Boro Park contribute to Masbia. And NYC HRA Commissioner Steven Banks, who received the New York City Humanitarian Leadership Award, extolled the virtues of the BPJCC by indicating that all the services offered are exactly what HRA offers which is why the partnership between JCC and HRA is so important.
Another focus of the program was on business and economic development in Boro Park and award recipients Carlo A. Scissura Esq. President and CEO of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce as well as Roni Shoyfer of Investors Bank continue to play a key role in those developments.
Other speakers at the event included Boro Park JCC President Isaac Stern as well as Executive Director Rabbi Yeruchim Silber, Assemblymembers Dov Hikindand Jim Brennan, Councilmembers Brad Lander and Mark Treyger, and a special message from Maimonides Medical Center CEO Pam Brier, delivered by Dr. John Marshall.
Menachem Lubinsky, CEO of Lubicom and long time board member of Met Council served as breakfast MC. The breakfast was sponsored by Maimonides Medical Center, Investors Bank, Center Light Health Care, MJHS, Signature Bank, Astoria Feder.
{Matzav.com Newscenter/Photo: Hillel Engel}
