Patrol Borough of Staten Island Lights Up Summer with Harmony Day Festivities

On July 20, 2022, at Clove Lakes Park located in the Sunnyside section of Staten Island, Patrol Borough Staten Island (PBSI) under the highly respected and venerable leadership of NYPD Staten Island Borough Commander Chief Gin Yee was the sight of Harmony Day 2022. Mendy Mirocznik, president of the Staten Island Council of Jewish Organizations (COJO) and Ari Weiss, COJO Security Chairman and Coordinator of Staten Island Shomrim represented COJO at Harmony Day.

The traditional family fun activities such as the picnic in the park, mountain climbing and pleasant comradery filled the atmosphere as hundreds as police officers and Staten Islanders gathered together and congregated to celebrate Harmony Day as a day of unity and fellowship.

“Harmony Day was established by PBSI for the specific purpose of bringing the diverse communities of Staten Island together with NYPD as a summer fun festival. Unfortunately, due to Covid this wonderful Staten Island tradition was suspended last year. This year as we emerge from the darkness of the pandemic we enthusiastically once again celebrated Harmony Day with all its splendor and joy,” so stated Chief Terrence Hurson, Executive Officer, Patrol Borough, Staten Island. 

“It was hart warming to see many of our regular attendees return to Harmony Day. Staten Island’s civic community was well represented and organizations such as COJO and its leadership team Mendy Mirocznik and Ari Weiss were in attendance…This is important, because the success of the NYPD lies in its strong relations and friendships with organizations such as COJO and when the communities unite and come together for the Harmony Day celebration we build on that relationship with good times full of pleasant memories. It was these civic and community leaders that helped us unite as a community that got us through COVID and this same coalition of good people is helping us emerge victorious from the dark days of Covid” so concluded Chief Hurson.

“After feeling dumbstruck and experiencing the shell shock of the Pandemic we as a united community needed a day to pause and focus on what is most important and that is the celebration of life, living, family friends and community. Today’s festivities allowed us to take a moment to reflect on the positive and to gather our bearings and begin to realize how far we have come since the start of the global infliction of Covid. I pray that the world learns to focus on what is most important and that is what we have here today at the park and that is friendship and respect. I pray that the joy, positive feelings, appreciation and gratitude that we are once again able to enjoy will be the foundation that will allow us to rebuild this world as a better place for all people.  To this end I credit all the community groups and leaders who are in attendance today and I especially thank Chief Yee and his warm heart for being the great unifier who brought together all the diverse communities of Staten Island in a celebration of life and optimism. We at COJO look forward to our continued partnership and collaborations with Chief Yee and the NYPD to further bring healing, joy and happiness to all the residents of Staten Island.” Concluded Mendy Mirocznik, president of the Staten Island Council of Jewish Organizations.