Israeli Consul General Ofir Akunis talks with Staten Island Jewish community leaders, May 18, 2026.
(Credit: Shimon Gifter)

The Council of Jewish Organizations of Staten Island (COJO) announced major expansions in its community initiatives, security partnerships and youth programming. The update comes as the organization prepares to celebrate its 60th anniversary next June.

Founded in 1967 by Rabbi Joseph Harris amid the Six-Day War, COJO was created to serve as a unified, organized voice for the borough’s Jewish community. Six decades later, COJO continues its founding mission: uniting a diverse Jewish population across all denominations and political backgrounds, fighting antisemitism, supporting Israel and advocating for the general welfare of Staten Island.

Borough President Vito Fossella and COJO President Mendy Mirocznik prepare to light the menorah at the 54th Annual Borough Hall Menorah Lighting, Dec. 15, 2025. (Credit: Debbie Petry Killen)

Central to COJO’s enduring success is its focus on interfaith dialogue and building lasting relationships across diverse populations—a strategy the organization considers the single most effective tool for combating hate and promoting mutual respect. “We have to be strong together, and we have much more in common that unites us than that which divides us,” said Rabbi Harris.

Highlighting COJO’s role as an international bridge for the local community, COJO and the Joan and Alan Bernikow Jewish Community Center of Staten Island (JCC) were honored to host Hon. Ofir Akunis, consul general of Israel in New York, in May for an extensive borough tour and series of meetings with community leaders on Staten Island. The visit concluded with a tour of the JCC, a dinner and presentation of a proclamation to Akunis by Mirocznik and JCC Executive Director Orit Lender.

COJO President Mendy Mirocznik with local precinct officers at a COJO food distribution, July 23, 2026. (Credit: Debbie Petry Killen)

COJO is reporting a welcome decline in local antisemitic incidents, particularly within public schools—an area that had previously been a major point of concern for families. COJO directly attributes this positive trend to District Attorney Michael McMahon’s diligence, vigilance and strict zero-tolerance policy for hate crimes. The organization also credits the steadfast support of local elected officials and the NYPD’s dedicated borough command.

Demonstrating how elected officials from across the entire political spectrum stand firmly united against antisemitism and bias, Borough President Vito Fossella and McMahon have held multiple press conferences to take a hard line against hate. The most recent was coordinated by COJO and hosted at the JCC in July in direct response to a violent attack where a Jewish individual and an Asian individual were targeted solely because of their faith and ethnicity. The press conference served as a powerful moment of unity, declaring that hate has no place on Staten Island.

Jewish Heritage Night at SIUH Community Park, June 11, 2026. (Credit: Debbie Petry Killen)

Building on this civic engagement, COJO is currently in the planning stages for its annual legislative breakfast, scheduled to take place in October at the Joan and Alan Bernikow JCC. This event affords the Jewish community a platform to speak directly with elected officials and candidates seeking public office.

Adding to its momentum, COJO has formalized its operations into three newly structured committees designed to centralize resources and streamline community leadership:

Teen Services Committee: Chaired by Mikal Magori and Orit Lender, this committee engages the next generation through cultural education and advocacy and, in collaboration with the JCC and Rabbi Mendy Katzman, leads expanding after-school Jewish Culture Clubs across public and private schools. Recent activities have included holiday celebrations, educational trips and a borough-wide “Day of Unity.”

“We aren’t just teaching traditions,” said Magori. “We are giving our youth a safe, vibrant space to take pride in their heritage and stand together as one unified community.”

District Attorney Michael McMahon, JCC Executive Director Orit Lender and COJO President Mendy Mirocznik at the 54th Annual Borough Hall Menorah Lighting, Dec. 15, 2025. (Credit: Debbie Petry Killen)

Should an incident of bias occur in schools, COJO and the JCC actively step in to support families and ensure proper reporting protocols are met. “Our priority is ensuring school policies fiercely protect the well-being of Jewish students and foster truly inclusive environments,” stated Lender.

Jewish Education Committee: Co-chaired by Louis Frohlich and Professor Lori Weintrob, this committee supports outreach and formal education, recently hosting a borough-wide student essay contest on Jewish values and policy solutions for New York. “It gives us a direct, bird’s-eye view into the hearts and minds of our youth,” said Mirocznik. “Understanding how our young people feel allows us to better gauge the needs of the community and shape our advocacy for the future.”

Social Action Committee: Chaired by local attorney Ed Finkelstein, Esq., and Roy Moskowitz, this branch focuses on voter registration, organizing swift counter-protests and building bridges with civic leaders who support the Jewish community and Israel.

COJO’s Security Committee maintains a direct line of communication with the NYPD, whose officers regularly participate alongside COJO in pre-holiday security briefings, community food distributions, annual Thanksgiving turkey drives and holiday toy giveaways.

Israeli Consul General Ofir Akunis with Staten Island Jewish community leaders, May 18, 2026. (Credit: Shimon Gifter)

COJO’s broader community work includes operating a year-round food pantry led by Distribution Manager Iva Reuven, co-hosting the Fifth Annual Jewish Heritage Night with the Staten Island FerryHawks, and organizing the “We Are All Staten Island Fellowship Against Hate”—a coalition training diverse leaders to combat bias, which held its second annual graduation in June.

As COJO looks toward its landmark 60th anniversary next June, leadership stresses that hate is strictly a nonpartisan issue, and maintaining open-door relationships with all elected officials remains essential to the borough’s security.

“Building relationships is the only true way to be successful in fighting antisemitism, defeating hate, and standing strong for Israel,” Mirocznik emphasized. “The love and the camaraderie we see across Staten Island today exist because we refuse to stay in silos. COJO provides everyone—affiliated or unaffiliated—a meaningful place to express their Judaism and serve the broader community. Together with our partners in law enforcement and local government, we are building an impenetrable armor of mutual respect.”

Alan Weintraub is deputy communications director for COJO. He has a master’s degree in history and is currently a law student.