The Queens Jewish Community Council (QJCC) marked its 56th Anniversary Gala on March 20 at Da Mikele Illagio in Elmhurst. The evening, attended by a packed room of elected officials, community leaders, and advocates, celebrated the strength of Jewish life in Queens and honored two outstanding individuals: Dr. Ben Golub and Leo Jacobs, Esq.
Rabbi Mayer Waxman, Executive Director of QJCC, led the audience with the National Anthem and Hatikvah and then reminded attendees of the daily work QJCC performs behind the scenes. “Tomorrow morning, Marina, sitting back there, will be assisting community members to access benefits and affordable health insurance. Come Monday, Alla will be helping clients with housing or immigration issues or providing them with food from QJCC’s kosher pantry, and come Tuesday, volunteers like Dahlia will be putting together packages of meals to be delivered to homebound individuals. And Carol, who’s been a force behind this dinner, will go back to working on complex government paperwork and helping me coordinate the upcoming Passover distribution providing food to some 1,000 Queens residents in need.”
Rabbi Waxman continued, “QJCC is a non-denominational, equal opportunity umbrella organization representing and uniting more than 130 Jewish organizations in Queens, helping shuls and other community groups and individuals share in the rich, diverse cultural beauty of Judaism… We work with multiethnic, multi-religious partners to stand up against hate. We advocate for the concerns of the Jewish community. And we advocate for Israel.”
Following Rabbi Waxman’s remarks, Rabbi Michael Miller, Executive VP Emeritus of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York (JCRC-NY), offered an invocation, reflecting on the sacred responsibility of community leadership and the power of unity in uncertain times.
Barry Grodenchik, QJCC President and longtime public servant, then took the stage as master of ceremonies, helping carry the evening’s energy forward.
Ariella Rada, Consul for Media Affairs at Israel’s Consulate General in New York, offered greetings from the State of Israel. She reflected on the importance of diaspora-Israel relationships in times of challenge.
The first honoree of the night was Dr. Ben Golub, co-founder of BlackRock and outgoing President of JCRC-NY, who was presented with the Appreciation of Jewish Communal Leadership Award by Michael Nussbaum, past QJCC president. Nussbaum praised Golub’s leadership as both global and grounded — someone who advocated for Jewish unity while never losing sight of the people behind the policies.
Golub’s speech was passionate, personal, and unflinching.
“Over my nearly three years as President of JCRC-NY, I have seen and experienced firsthand the vital importance of our work and its critical importance to our city, both in times of calm and in times of conflict. Let’s not kid ourselves: our Jewish community and supporters of Israel have our hands full.
“After what had been a relatively calmer winter due to the ceasefire, and after some elements of higher education have come to realize that letting Jew-hatred go unchecked on their campuses is a bad idea, the pro-Israel Jewish community runs the risk of becoming complacent.
“My take is that our current situation is incredibly volatile and dangerous, and that the various positive steps taken to repress antisemitic violence, whether in the Middle East or middle Queens, may only be covering up an accelerating crisis that may explode.”
He went on to outline a four-point plan for response:
“1. Maximize the impact of our political voices. Maintain strong relationships with our elected officials. Develop allies outside of the Jewish community.
“2. Aggressively fight the normalization of antisemitism. We must call it out time and time again. Our elected officials and non-Jewish community stakeholders need to understand how hurtful and destructive even small acts of antisemitism can be. Antisemitic words lead to antisemitic actions.
“3. Organize, organize, organize. Rouse your complacent friends. Open your wallets again and again. Be prepared to march in the streets if necessary.
“4. Reduce the counterproductive cacophony of voices in the Jewish community. Am I the only person who gets sick listening to Jewish apologists for Hamas? We must also stop biting the political hands that seek to protect us!”
He closed with a message of action and unity.
“Our two organizations — JCRC and QJCC — are an important part of the solution. What we do matters! A lot! But we need to do even more. The Queens Jewish Community Council is the first line of defense in the fight against food insecurity and in the promotion of Jewish voices, values, and institutions in the great borough of Queens. The QJCC is also a partner in the fight against antisemitism, whenever and wherever it occurs.
Dr. Golub also spoke about co-authoring the book Kaddishel: A Life Reborn with his father, Aharon Golub, a Holocaust survivor and early Zionist. The memoir traces Aharon’s journey from pre-war Poland through the Shoah and on to the creation of Israel. “In sharing his story,” Ben said, “I came to understand how Jewish survival is not only a legacy — it’s an ongoing responsibility.”
The next honoree, Leo Jacobs, was introduced by QJCC board member Svetlana “Lana” Levitan and received the Appreciation of Queens Communal Leadership Award. Jacobs, a commercial litigation attorney and Chief Counsel to the Bukharian Jewish Community Center, delivered an unscripted, heartfelt speech filled with personal and communal reflection.
Jacobs explained that he starts each day with the slogan: “One step in front of the other,” and believes the Jewish community can learn from its inherent concept.
Speaking of his beloved Bukharian community, Jacobs expressed, “We have a gargantuan task to be a representative body that represents itself under tremendous pressure today. We saw World War I, we saw World War II… frankly, in every war we’ve been in, we’ve known this challenge. And I believe we are strong. We appear together at a convocation to take care of the Jewish needs of our children and of our children’s children.”
Jacobs described himself as a “Bukharian patriot” in love with his people, and pointed to their middah of generosity as their savior. He then explained that success is not about being wealthy or owning riches rather about uncovering purpose to which he dedicated extensive time in developing purpose within the framework of the Queens Bukharian community.
Jacobs highlighted the formation of the Association of Bukharian Jewish Lawyers, which grew into the Bukharian Legal Association and Bukharian Jewish Union, bringing together hundreds of professionals and students for mentorship, education, and support.
The program wrapped up with proclamations and commendations presented by Rabbi Daniel Pollack, Jewish Liaison to U.S. Rep. Grace Meng., and Assemblymember David Weprin.
JCRC-NY CEO Hon. Mark Treyger, and UJA VP of Governmental Affairs Hon. Daniel Rosenthal were chief among the dignitaries. “For nearly six decades, the Queens Jewish Community Council has provided social services, housing assistance, and fed hungry families in communities across our borough,” offered New York City Council Member Sandra Ung, who was joined by colleagues s Linda Lee, and Julie Won. Also circulating were representatives of Assemblymember Sam Berger and Queens Borough President Donovan Richards. Other notables included the UJA’s Queens advocate David Aronov, Linda Spiegel of Margaret Tietz; Alan Sherman; Yaakov Serle of QJL, Avi Posnick of StandWithUs Northeast; Pesach Osina for Council Speaker Adam, and Community advocate Howard Schoenfeld who remarked ahead of the event, “I’m not into these dinners — but if there’s one you should go to, this is the one.” Council Member Lynn Schulman sent regrets.
QJCC continues to serve as the voice and anchor of Jewish Queens — offering kosher food distribution, Meals-on-Wheels, SNAP, SSI, SCRIE/DRIE, and insurance enrollment assistance, as well as help with housing, immigration, youth mentoring, senior support, women’s empowerment, and family counseling. The organization hosts cultural events like Jewish Music Under the Stars and stands as a leading voice against antisemitism and for Israel.
As Rabbi Waxman wrote in the gala journal, “Thank you for your commitment to keeping the Queens Jewish community as special as it is. May our social services and advocacy no longer be needed — and may we continue to share in the inestimable value and joy of the Jewish experience.”
“The QJCC 56th Anniversary Gala was more than a celebration — it was a reflection of what’s possible when leadership, legacy, and community move forward together,” concluded Mrs. Lyudmila Meirova, Founder of All About Kindness, whose group benefited greatly over the year from QJCC program funding. To learn more or support QJCC, visit www.qjcc.org.
By Shabsie Saphirstein
