50  Years Have Passed, But We Are Still Going Strong

When I was a young child, I used to think that 50 years was a very long time. In fact, I thought it was an eternity; but as I grew older and got personally closer to that magic number chronologically, I realized that 50 years is not that long, but an appreciable number of years that deserves to be venerated.

So much has happened since 1968 when a group of clergy and lay leaders established the Queens Jewish   Community Council as an advocacy organization concerned with the low –income  housing initiative proposed for Forest Hills and the New York City public school teachers’ strike that affected so many Jewish professionals. In these 50 years, tens of thousands of individuals and their families have been impacted by the Queens Jewish Community Council. 

QJCC’s mandate increased in the 1970s with the influx of Russian speaking refugees who were settled in Queens.  To accommodate our new Jewish arrivals, QJCC added to its advocacy mission a scope of services( that  is being offered to this day )  with a wide range of services and programs that included entitlement assistance, immigrant services, medical insurance facilitation  ,food stamp applications on site, senior services, family counseling, acculturation and citizenship  services  and case assistance. Our agency has committed itself to addressing the most pressing issue facing our clientele today-the THREAT of HUNGER through our Kosher Food Pantry established in 1990s and meals –on wheels program. QJCC’s food pantry distributes 1,500 packages of food each month, but unfortunately the numbers of people in need have seen steadily increasing since its inception.

Through the years, as with life, QJCC has had its ups and downs. The tragedy of 9/11 left the agency without sources of City funding, but we would not give up. Many (including myself) came to the office voluntarily to ensure that the agency stayed opened and viable.  The people needed our help and we were going to be there for them “ by hook or by crook”.

Several years later, we lost philanthropic financial support for our meals-on-wheels program. That was a tremendous financial hit but QJCC refused to be deterred by the setback and was determined to abide by the moral imperative imbued by Judaic ethics and values and made sure  kosher food for those who were unable to shop and cook for themselves was provided to them. Many of these seniors were impoverished and without our deliveries would have had to make the choice between buying food or medication.  We couldn’t allow that to happen, so we established PROJECT CHAIM to raise the resources to continue providing these life-sustaining meals to 140 most vulnerable advanced elderly in our community. There is no greater responsibility in our minds than to help those affected by poverty. PROJECT CHAIM was eventually extended to include the many families being adversely affected by difficult times.   

On August 21, 2018, The Queens Jewish Community Council will celebrate its 50^th anniversary of service to the Jewish community of Queens at a glatt kosher gala at Da Mikelle I llagio  at 79-17 Albion Avenue, Elmhurst, NY 11373.  

At this exciting milestone in QJCC’s history, we will be honoring outstanding individuals who represent the divergent aspects of our mission. QJCC will be paying tribute to Hon.  NYS Assembly member Michael Simanowitz , zt”l whose untimely passing has created a void in our community. Michael was a cherished public servant who always had our best interests at heart. He fought hard for issues that benefitted the Jewish community at large and worked incessantly so that our neighborhood, specifically, got its fair share. He will always be missed by those of us who valued his wisdom and dedication. May his memory be a blessing. QJCC will be  bestowing Hon. Michael Simanowitz with the Claire Shulman Public Service Award.

QJCC is dedicated to serving members of the Bukharian Jewish Community. We are grateful to our partners in the community such as Michael Zavulonov of Da Mikelle fame, a distinguished leader and entrepreneur who through his successful business has helped promote the Bukharian  community as an integral part of the Jewish population in Queens. He will be recognized for his contributions to Queens Jewry by being awarded QJCC’s coveted Community Service Award. 

QJCC will recognize the Alliance of Bukharian Americans with the Young Leadership award and for being the 147^th organization to be part of QJCC’s network of member organizations.

QJCC is honored to bestow its prestigious “Visionary Award’ to Mr. Jerry Lippman, publisher of the Long Island Jewish World, the Jewish Tribune and the Manhattan Jewish Sentinel for using his journalistic platform  for over  forty years to advocate for the Jewish community and for being a staunch supporter of the State of Israel.

QJCC will be privileged to present the first “Jason Weinstein Ahavat Chesed Award” to Mark Weingarten. A rabbi and pre-med student at Yeshiva University who founded a music initiative whose goal is to create connections between people through the universal language of music at visits to hospitals and nursing homes. Mark Weingarten’s efforts to help the sick is an exemplary reflection of Jason Weinstein, of blessed memory, whose good deeds were legendary.

So much has been accomplished ,but so much more needs to be done.

50 years have passed ,but QJCC is still going strong. May we continue to go from strength to strength!

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Cynthia Zalisky is the Executive Director of the Queens Jewish Community Council. She can be contacted at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.