Staten Island Council of Jewish Organizations (COJO-SI) Provides Passover Food Pantry Service

The Staten Island Council of Jewish Organizations (COJO-SI) held its Annual Passover food drive and distribution Wednesday, April 6, 2022, at the Aur Torah Sephardic Minyan of Staten Island. Thanks to the efforts of COJO-SI approximately 1500 families in Staten Island are able to enjoy Passover 2022 with the traditional foods necessary to experience festive Sedarim and holiday meals.

 

This year marks the 47th year of COJO helping make sure that members of the Staten Island community can celebrate Passover in a dignified manner in accordance with Jewish traditions and customs. 

 

Mendy Mirocznik, President of COJO stated, “the positive spirit demonstrated today helped alleviate the down feeling that we are experiencing as we grapple with transitioning from Covid to a healthier reality. Sadly, the rise inflation and the failure of the pay check to meet the sudden and unexpected rise in the cost of living is making it difficult for many working people to further stretch their paychecks to purchase the necessary food needs to experience a truly festive Passover meal experience. It is love, unity and fellowship that will get us through this crisis. It is only when good people partner up and work together, we get the strength, wisdom and fortitude to preserver through the challenges we face.”

 

“We could not have had any more welcoming hosts then the Aur Torah Sephardic Minyan of Staten Island. The care and concern and assistance to every detail was instrumental in making the Pre-Passover Food Distribution a success. Rabbi Aharon Zeev, President Reuven Oshri and the Aur Torah Shul family outdid themselves and the key to building a thriving community is with strong community bonds that has the focus of delivering the best to the community it serves. Thanks to Aur Torah we accomplished this most important mission” stated Mirocznik.

  

Mirocznik thanked COJO Security Chairman and Coordinator of the Staten Island Shomrim, Ari Weiss for mobilizing the Shomrim and coordinating the Passover distribution with the NYPD. Thank you to Lt. Rafet Awad, Commanding Officer, Community Affairs, Patrol Borough Staten Island, Detective Kevin Medefindt, Community Affairs, Patrol Borough Staten Island, Captain Bailey Goon, Executive Officer, Pct. 121, and Sgt. Charles Kosa, Pct. 121 for their great work in helping to make the Pesach Food Distribution the success that it was. 

 

Mirocznik further thanked the generous COJO Food Pantry partners who made this Passover food drive and distribution possible. Mirocznik thanked in particular Met Council,

 

David G. Greenfield, CEO and Executive Director of Met Council, Aaron Cyperstein, Associate Council and Director of External Affairs of Met Council, Jessica Chait, Managing Director of Food Programs at Met Council, Benjamin Zaientz, Quality Specialist at Met Council and Rebecca Glass, Met Council Pantry Coordinator for their support, encouragement and generosity and for their collaboration with COJO, NYPD and Project Hospitality in making this important Pre-Pesach food a reality. 

 

Iva Reuven, COJO Service Committee Chairperson stated,  “We are pleased to partner with  Met Council, Food Bank NYC and City Harvest on this important initiative to provide Passover food to our community members in need” stated Iva Reuven, Chairperson, COJO Service Committee. “I am particularly proud of my Service Committee and their dedicated crew and of Carina Vizhnay, special events coordinator, Empire BlueCross & Blue Shield and great member of the COJO service committee for all her help in making this year’s Pre-Passover Food Distribution the success that it was.

 

Scott Maurer, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Vice-President of COJO remarked, “that the COJO Passover Food Relief is just one component of our pantry that services all people of Staten Island.  Our goal is to make sure that no person goes hungry in Staten Island. It is my sincere dream that no one should experience poverty and hunger and the pantry should go out of business due to a lack of clients in need.  However, until we reach that day, we here at COJO are in the business of combating hunger.”