The Queens Jewish Community Council (QJCC) hosted its annual legislative breakfast on Feb. 9 at the Young Israel of Jamaica Estates, marking the 55th year of QJCC’s service to the community.
With the generosity of the UJA Federation of New York, Met Council and JCRC-NY this gathering provided Queens’ Jewish leadership the opportunity to network and discuss pressing issues with elected officials from federal, state, and city governments.
Rabbi Mayer Waxman, Executive Director of QJCC, opened the event by recognizing the organization’s 55 years of service to the Queens community. He highlighted QJCC’s essential work, including kosher food pantries, housing assistance, and emergency support, stating: “In the last fiscal year, QJCC provided kosher food to nearly 1,500 unique visitors, supplying meals for almost 4,000 people—including seniors, adults, and children.”
Waxman took a moment to humanize QJCC’s impact with a personal anecdote.
“A few weeks ago, we had a woman walk into our office—an elderly Holocaust survivor. She was too proud to ask for help, but she was hungry. We gave her a warm meal and food to take home. As she left, she whispered, ‘You don’t know how much this means to me.’”
With growing food insecurity in Queens, Waxman urged for continued support from both community members and elected officials. “We are not a large organization financially, but we have a big heart. Every donation makes a difference.”
He concluded with a powerful message on unity and resilience. “Look around this room—this is what community looks like. Elected officials, faith leaders, neighbors—all here for one purpose: to support one another. This is why QJCC exists.”
Governor Kathy Hochul took the podium with a fiery commitment to fight anti-Semitism and protect New York’s Jewish communities. “I will never back down in calling out hate,” she declared. “There will be no hate in our state, not on my watch.”
She reflected on her emotional visit to Israel after the October 7 Hamas attack, where she met with survivors and saw the devastation firsthand.
“I saw bullet-ridden walls, burned-out homes—places of peace turned into places of horror. To deny what happened is to deny truth itself.”
She also took a strong stance on rising anti-Semitism on college campuses. “If a student calls for the genocide of a people, that is anti-Semitism, and I have told every single college president in New York if that’s happening on your campus, you are allowing the violation of state and federal civil rights laws, and we will not put up with that.”
Hochul then shared a deeply personal moment from her trip. “When I landed in Israel, I was supposed to have my father waiting for me back home. Instead, I learned that he had passed away.” Despite her grief, she chose to stay in Israel and complete her mission of standing in solidarity with the Jewish people. “I was standing in the middle of Kibbutz Kfar Aza, where entire families had been massacred, and people—who had just lost their children—came up to me to offer condolences on the loss of my father.”
She paused before adding: “I will never forget that moment. They had every reason to turn inward, to be consumed by their own grief, and yet they showed me kindness. That is the heart of the Jewish people.”
She then announced a $35 million security fund for synagogues and yeshivahs, reinforcing her commitment to keeping Jewish communities safe.
Rav Moshe Taub, Rav of Young Israel of Holliswood, delivered a moving invocation, drawing on Jewish teachings and historical resilience. “We are a nation that has faced darkness time and again—but we survive because we do not forget.”
During his invocation, Rav Moshe Taub shared a deeply emotional story he learned from his recent conversations with Israeli families affected by the October 7 attacks.
“I want to share with you a story from Kibbutz Be’eri,” Rav Taub began. “Every year, on the same day, this kibbutz would organize a kite-flying event—sending colorful kites soaring over the border into Gaza as a message of peace and friendship. The children would laugh, their eyes lifted to the sky, believing in a world where neighbors could live side by side.”
His voice grew heavier as he continued. “On October 7, the kites were ready. They were still sitting there, waiting to be flown, but instead of joy, that day brought horror. The families who had gathered to send a message of peace were slaughtered by the very people they wished to befriend.”
Rabbi Taub concluded with a prayer for peace and safety, especially for hostages still held by Hamas and Israeli soldiers defending their homeland.
“We pray not just to ‘bring them home’—but to demand, ‘give them back.’ May Hashem watch over the hostages, our soldiers, and all of Israel.”
Tsach Saar, Israel’s Deputy Consul General in New York, delivered a powerful message about the fight against anti-Semitism. “Anti-Semitism today often wears a mask—it pretends to be activism. But make no mistake: Denying Jewish people the right to self-determination while granting it to others is not activism, it is anti-Semitism.”
He then shared the story of Avi, a father from Kibbutz Nir Oz, who had just been reunited with his son after weeks in Hamas captivity. “When his son was finally released, emaciated but alive, the first thing Avi did was whisper in his ear: ‘I never stopped fighting for you. I never stopped believing you would come home.’” Saar then looked at the audience, his voice unwavering. “This is Israel. This is what it means to be part of Am Yisrael. We do not stop fighting. We do not stop believing. And we will not stop until every last hostage is home.”
Rep. Grace Meng passionately addressed the rise in hate crimes and the need for bipartisan support in the fight against anti-Semitism. She shared a phone call she received from a Jewish mother in Queens. “She told me, ‘I used to let my kids walk to school alone, but now I don’t. Not because I don’t trust my neighbors, but because I don’t trust what might happen if they wear a kippah in public.’” Meng’s voice was firm: “We cannot allow fear to be the new normal. No mother, no father, no grandparent should have to second-guess their child’s safety because of their faith. That is why I fight for security grants, for hate crime protections, for stronger laws. And I won’t stop.”
Borough President Donovan Richards spoke about the historic ties between the Black and Jewish communities, recalling how Andrew Goodman, a young Jewish civil rights activist, was murdered fighting for Black voting rights in the 1960s.
“Our diversity is our strength, and it is up to us to ensure that Queens continues to be a place where every community—especially the Jewish community—feels safe and supported.” Richards recently traveled to Israel himself, witnessing the devastation from Hamas’ attack firsthand. “I saw the bullet holes. I saw the burned-out homes. We will not forget, and we will not be silent.”
QJCC President Barry Grodenchik addressed the rising crisis of food insecurity, urging elected officials to prioritize funding for food assistance programs. “We live in a time of great food insecurity, and thousands of families in our community don’t know where their next meal is coming from.”
He highlighted that QJCC’s kosher food pantry serves nearly 4,000 individuals annually, with demand steadily increasing. “We are small in budget, but we are big in heart.”
As the event wrapped up, attendees were reminded of QJCC’s lifelong commitment to the community. “No matter the challenge, we will always be here for each other,” Grodenchik stated.
By Shabsie Saphirstein
