Council of Jewish Organizations Hosts Chief Kenneth Corey for Pre-High Holiday Virtual Security Meeting

On Monday, September 14, the Council of Jewish Organizations of Staten Island (COJO-SI) and its Security Committee held its annual Pre-Rosh-Hashanah Security Meeting which, due to the pandemic, was held virtually this year.

At the meeting, the focus was on how to better secure synagogues and houses of worship for the High Holidays in the time of COVID-19. In attendance were Police Chief Kenneth Corey and COJO officials such as Rabbi Mendy Mirocznik, COJO president, Mr. Scott Maurer, COJO CEO and executive vice-president, and Mr. Ari Weiss, COJO security chairman and coordinator, Staten Island Safety Patrol (Shomrim), as well as Mr. David Pollack from the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC-NY), a member of the COJO-SI Security Committee.

The meeting was successful, and in the words of Chief Corey, “demonstrated the strong community partnership and bond between COJO-SI and the NYPD, and in no small measure that is thanks to the efforts of Mendy Mirocznik, Scott Maurer and Ari Weiss who exemplify what leadership is all about.”

Rabbi Mirocznik commented, “The secret to the great relationship between the NYPD and COJO-SI is communication. Chief Corey has open lines of communication with COJO and this open communication allows us to build community confidence with the NYPD. Our prayer is that all those observing the High Holidays should do so in a meaningful, secure way.

“When we pray, we should pray for the well-being of the NYPD that its officers should be safe and return every day safely to their families. However, this year we additionally pray that the A-mighty have mercy and eradicate the pandemic and put an end to the tragedy of COVID-19. May the A-mighty bless the world by inscribing it in the Book of Life and may the world know of peace, joy and happiness.”