COJO-SI Coordinates With NYPD, FDNY & DSNY, SI Shomrim Passover 2022 Preparations

The eight-day festival of Passover is celebrated in the early spring, from the evening of the 14th day through the 22nd day of the Hebrew month of Nissan, which corresponds this year from Friday, April 15, 2022 through Saturday, April 23, 2022. The first Seder will be observed on April 15 after nightfall, and the second Seder will be on April 16 after nightfall.

Passover commemorates the emancipation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt. Pesach is observed by avoiding leaven and highlighted by the Seder meals that include four cups of wine, eating matzah and bitter herbs, and retelling the story of the Exodus. In Hebrew it is known as Pesach (which means “to pass over”), because G-d passed over the Jewish homes when killing the Egyptian firstborn on the very first Passover eve.

On March 31, The Council of Jewish Organizations of Staten Island (COJO) and Staten Island Shomrim in conjunction with the NYPD held its Annual Pre-Passover Security Briefing. The briefing also included creating a  plan for holiday preparations with the FDNY and DSNY.  At the meeting COJO on behalf of its constituent body, friends and supporters welcomed to Staten Island and congratulated the following on their appointment to City government, Hon. Fred Kreizman, Commissioner of the Mayor’s Community Affairs Unit, Joel Eisdorfer, Senior Advisor to Mayor Eric Adams, and Hon. Mark Stewart, NYPD Deputy Commissioner Community Affairs Bureau. 

COJO Officials and top brass of the NYPD, FDNY and DSNY were in attendance to discuss the holiday and preparations were made to help facilitate a smooth holiday experience. Among the attendees were Ed Jackson, Staten Island Borough Director at the Office of the Mayor of the City of New York, Simon Sebag, Jewish Liaison at the office of New York City Public Advocate, Inspector Richard Taylor, Commanding Officer, Community Affairs Bureau, Chief Gin Yee, Commanding Officer, Patrol Borough Staten Island, Chief Charles McEvoy, Executive Officer, Patrol Borough Staten Island, Captain Eric Waldhelm, Executive Officer, Pct. 120, Inspector Bruce Ceparano, Commanding Officer, Pct. 121, Captain Andy Russel, Executive Officer, Pct. 122,  Inspector Andrey Smirnov, Commanding Officer, Pct. 123, Lt. Rafet Awad, Commanding Officer, Community Affairs, Patrol Borough Staten Island, Captain Ryan Russel, Commanding Officer, Staten Island MTA, Chief Kevin Woods, FDNY Staten Island Borough Chief, Chief Brian Goorman, FDNY Deputy Staten Island Borough Chief, Chief Christopher Hancock, DSNY Staten Island Deputy Borough Chief, and Terence M Byrne, Manhattan and Staten Island Director of Community Security Initiative of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York (JCRC-NY) and a co-Chairman of the COJO-SI, Security Committee.

Mendy Mirocznik, President of  the Council of Jewish Organizations thanked the Aur Torah Sephardic Minyan of Staten Island, Rabbi Aharon Zeev, President Oshri Reuven and Iva Tull Reuven who serves as COJO Service Committee Chairperson and Aur Torah’s Sisterhood President for hosting the annual COJO Pre-Passover Security and Passover Holiday Planning meeting. “Your generous hospitality is welcoming and full of warmth, beauty and love,” quipped Mirocznik.

Mirocznik thanked Chief Gin Yee, for coordinating security, Chief Kevin Woods for coordinating bread burning and for his presentation on holiday fire safety and  Chief Christopher Hancock for coordinating sanitation for the Passover holiday.

Mirocznik praised and credited, “New York’s Uniformed Service People as great public servants who’s around the clock dedication to public safety and general welfare allows the residents of the City of New York and in Staten Island in particular to enjoy a great quality of life.”

Mirocznik, thanked Scott Maurer, the CEO and Executive Vice-President of COJO; and Ari Weiss, COJO Security Chair and Coordinator of the Staten Island Shomrim for organizing a great security briefing.

COJO is proud to advise the community that on April 15, 2022, there will be barricades at all Bread Burning/Biur Chometz locations and FDNY with Shomrim will be present to supervise each location from 8AM to 12PM. The Bread Burning/Biur Chometz will be taking place at Young Israel of Staten Island, and at Khal Agudas Shomrei Hadas of Staten Island  COJO further advises that Sanitation besides having their dumpsters at Young Israel of Staten Island from Thursday, April 14, from 4PM to 11PM and Friday, April 15, from 6AM to 1PM there will be additional Sanitation dumpsters at Khal Agudas Shomrei Hadas of Staten Island.