Jewish Heritage at Gracie Mansion

By Henry Levy

From left: Rabbi Arthur Schneier, of the New York City's Park East Synagogue, Ambassador Ido Aharoni, Israel's Consul General in New York, and Jeffrey Weisenfeld, Principal, Alliance Bernstein. Photos: Gloria Starr Kins

From left: Thomas Chan, Chief of Community Affairs Bureau, Devorah Halbersham, founder of the Jewish Children's Museum, and Consul General, Ido Aharoni. Photos: Gloria Starr Kins

New York City Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, hosted New York’s Annual Jewish Heritage Month celebration at Gracie Mansion recently. It was a hot day to celebrate this yearly BBQ but the Mayor said, “If this group could wander in the desert for 40 years, we could handle one hot night to celebrate Jewish Heritage!”
   
During his comments about Israel, Mayor Bloomberg stated,  “We are here to celebrate the one nation in the world whose very existence is tied to that  heritage…Israel is a country of vital importance to the Jewish community and everyone who cares about freedom – the one nation in the world tied to the heritage of the Jewish people, whose future must be assured to protect that heritage.”