Shana Tova! JCRC-NY Hosts Coney Island Rosh Hashanah Celebration

CONEY ISLAND, NY (09/16/2026) (readMedia)-- To celebrate Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York (JCRC-NY) and Jewish Community Council of Greater Coney Island (JCCGCI) hosted a celebration of the Jewish New Year, 5787, on Tuesday with community leaders and elected officials in Coney Island. Attendees engaged directly with the customs of Rosh Hashanah, gaining a deeper understanding of the meaning and significance of the holiday. 20 Holocaust survivors were also in attendance, which made this a particularly meaningful celebration of Jewish resilience and the enduring traditions that connect generations.

The program featured greetings from elected officials who shared their hopes and wishes for the New Year, and remarks from JCRC-NY CEO Mark Treyger and Rabbi Wiener of JCCGCI. Guests also tasted apples dipped in honey while reciting the Shehecheyanu blessing and heard the blast of the shofar.

"Rosh Hashanah reminds us that even after challenging chapters, we have the power to begin again and there could be no more meaningful place to celebrate that message than here on Coney Island, a community that generations of Holocaust survivors and their families have called home," said JCRC-NY CEO Mark Treyger. "As the grandson of Holocaust survivors and World War II veterans, I carry their stories with me. They witnessed unimaginable darkness, yet they chose to rebuild families, strengthen communities, preserve their traditions, and embrace life. Their resilience is not simply part of our history; it is an inheritance and a responsibility. At a time when antisemitism is once again rising, our answer cannot be to retreat from one another or surrender our joy. We choose instead to live proudly, celebrate openly, deepen understanding, and build bridges across communities. Jewish resilience has never meant merely enduring hardship, but it has meant choosing life, choosing community, and choosing hope. That is the spirit in which we welcome 5787." Treyger continued, "We are deeply grateful to JCCGCI, UJA-Federation of New York, our elected officials, community partners, and especially the Holocaust survivors who joined us. Their presence transformed this celebration from simply a welcoming of a new year into a powerful reminder of what Jewish continuity looks like: generations standing together, traditions carried forward, and hope refusing to be extinguished. May this New Year bring greater understanding, greater unity, and greater peace to all New Yorkers."

"Tuesday's gathering was a powerful expression of what New York is at its best: people of different faiths, ethnicities, generations and life experiences coming together in mutual respect and shared purpose," said Rabbi Moshe Wiener, Executive Director of JCCGCI. "Bringing Holocaust survivors, Russian, Asian-American and African-American older adults, elected officials, communal leaders and professional staff together around the timeless themes of Rosh Hashanah - renewal, reflection, human dignity and responsibility for one another - transformed a holiday observance into a meaningful act of bridge-building. We are deeply grateful to JCRC-NY for its leadership in making this possible and especially salute its dynamic CEO, Mark Treyger, whose longstanding devotion to Coney Island and exceptional ability to unite diverse communities were so beautifully reflected in today's event," said Rabbi Moshe Wiener, Executive Director, JCCGCI.

"It was an honor to join Tuesday's Rosh Hashanah celebration as we look ahead to the new year, which I pray is one of peace, joy, and solidarity for our Jewish communities and our entire city," said New York City Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams. "With antisemitic hate around us, this is a moment to recommit to unity and compassion. The troubling times we confront are an opportunity to stand together in common humanity and move forward in common good."

"As Jews around the world gather to celebrate the New Year, we must remember that it is our faith and unity in the face of adversity that has allowed us to survive so much. It is that faith and strength that allowed us to establish the State of Israel in 1948 in the aftermath of the Holocaust, and it is that belief in building a future for our families and communities that will move us forward together," said Assemblymember Alec Brook-Krasny. "We are builders, not destroyers, and we will always follow the Word of Hashem. Shana Tova!"

"Rosh Hashanah is a time to reflect and to look at the year ahead, and I was glad to celebrate. Thank you to JCRC-NY and the Jewish Community Council of Greater Coney Island for bringing neighbors together. Wishing every family a sweet and healthy new year. Shana tova," said Council Member Mercedes Narcisse.