On Monday, November 13, the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York (JCRC-NY) led two concurrent solidarity missions to Israel for Elected Officials and Faith Leaders, respectively. They returned on Friday, November 17.
The Missions are an opportunity for participants to show their solidarity with the people of Israel in the wake of the October 7 attacks by Hamas that killed over 1,200 Israeli civilians and kidnapped over 240 people who remain in Gaza as hostages. The itinerary includes meeting with families of those killed or kidnapped on October 7, a visit to the Israeli towns that Hamas attacked, a tour of hospitals and cultural centers, and meetings with Israeli political leaders and faith leaders. The missions are being led by JCRC-NY Interim CEO Noam Gilboord; Director of Community Affairs Howard Pollack; Executive Director, Center for Shared Society, Rabbi Bob Kaplan; and CEO Emeritus Rabbi Michael S. Miller.
The 25 participants on these solidarity missions include Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, New York State Senator John Liu, New York State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal, Assembly Member Grace Lee, Assembly Member Amanda Septimo, Sheik Mussa Drammeh, Bishop Nancy Del Rio-Rosario, Father Jason Grisafi, and more.
“I’m honored to have the chance to represent Queens on the ground in Israel for the second time in my career, and I am deeply grateful to the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York for hosting this trip as we stand in solidarity with all those impacted by Hamas’ unimaginable barbarism on October 7,” said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, Jr. “As a steadfast supporter of a two-state solution, I’m looking forward to having critical conversations with local government and community leaders around increasing humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, eliminating Hamas’ ability to terrorize innocent Israelis further, and championing the rights to safety and self-determination for families on both sides of the Israel-Gaza border.”
NY State Senator John Liu stated, “New York has the largest population of Jewish residents outside of Israel, and the terrorist attacks have hit home in so many ways. As elected officials representing various levels of New York State government, we need to undertake this solidarity mission to see firsthand how this war has impacted the people of Israel so that it may better inform our understanding of what’s occurring on the ground. It is also important for us to show the people of Israel that we continue to stand in solidarity with them and with Jewish communities here and abroad.”
