Westchester County Elected Leaders Visit Israel 

Fresh off the election, Westchester County elected leaders, including NYS Assemblyman J. Gary Pretlow and wife Donna, Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins, County Legislators Shanae Williams (District 16), Judah Holstein (District 10), and Emilana Ulaj (District 9), CE Staffers, Crystal Collins – Director of Faith-Based Initiatives and Urban Affairs, and Martha Lopez – Director of Minority and Women-Owned Business Development, and Steve Bass – Director of Intergovernmental Relations, Peekskill Mayor Vivian Mackenzie, Mamaroneck Town Supervisor Jaine Elkind Eney, Yorktown Town Supervisor Ed Lachterman, Port Chester Mayor Luis Marino, Peekskill Councilmember Patrick Jenkins, and Greenburgh Town Councilwoman Gina Jackson, arrived in Israel on Sunday, November 9th, for a week of connection, learning, and partnership.

CE Jenkins led the Westchester County delegation on a study trip to Israel to gain a deeper understanding of the complex issues affecting the region. The visit was Jenkins’s fourth trip to the country and was designed to strengthen cultural understanding, explore opportunities for collaboration, and deepen connections between Westchester County and communities throughout Israel. The delegation met with Israeli leaders, community organizations, and residents, gaining firsthand insight into the region’s history, religion, economy, and diverse cultural and social landscape.

“I was honored to be asked to lead the Westchester delegation of elected and public officials on the study trip to Israel. Our journey to Israel offered a meaningful chance to build connections — both with the people who live there, and with each other. We now have a deeper understanding of the cultural, political, and economic dynamics in the region, while also strengthening our relationships as colleagues committed to serving the people of Westchester. Experiences like this one help us to lead with greater awareness, compassion, and connection with others. To witness firsthand the work being done to find a way to co-exist in peace by the people experiencing it sends a powerful message of hope that can be carried back here in Westchester,” CE Jenkins shared with Black Westchester.

The educational retreat sponsored every 2 years by the Westchester Jewish Community Services (WJCS) for freshman legislators, newly elected officials, and those in government around the county to connect and learn from the Jewish community. It included trips to key historical sites such as

• Meetings with Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Adir Schwartz and members of the US Embassy
• A trip to Sderot to learn about the October 7 attack, and a visit to Tel Aviv to reflect on Israelis’ resilience in communities along the Gaza border
• A walking tour through Jerusalem’s Old City featuring Jewish, Christian, and Muslim quarters
• A visit to the Max Rayne Yad B’Yad (Hand in Hand) K-12 Jerusalem School, where Jewish and Muslim children learn in a bilingual Hebrew and Arabic program together
• A tour of Yad Vashem, Israel’s largest national memorial to the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust 

On Monday, November 10th, of the elected officials’ trip with UJA-Federation of New York — the largest local Jewish philanthropy in the world — they visited the Western Wall, cooked pita and rice, and took in the beauty and history of the city!

“In just 24 hours, this group has accomplished so much — from walking thousands of steps through the Old City and visiting Yad Vashem, to spending time at the Hand in Hand School, exploring the shuk and downtown Jerusalem, and even preparing their own Israeli dinner. It’s inspiring to watch our Westchester elected officials explore, learn, question, and reflect on all these experiences. #westchesterproud,” Tali Ruderman Strom, Director, Community Mobilizers at UJA-Federation of New York, shared on Facebook.

Director of Intergovernmental Relations Steve Bass said: “This trip offered an invaluable opportunity to observe the complex, resilient and above all, inspiring experience of the Jewish, Christian and Muslim communities that make up the State of Israel. Hearing directly from local leaders and residents gave us a more grounded perspective on the challenges they navigate every day, and the solutions they are creating to integrate and live peacefully together.  I am grateful for the chance to help strengthen ties with our closest international ally, and promote greater understanding about the special relationship between our country and Israel.”

Director of Policy and Programs for the Faith Community, Crystal Collins, said: “As a Black Christian woman visiting Israel, I am deeply moved by the rich tapestry of history and faith that intertwines in this land. This journey has opened my eyes to the unique challenges faced by the diverse communities coexisting in this vibrant country, especially amid ongoing conflict. I believe that through dialogue and understanding, we can build connections that honor both our differences and our shared humanity. I hope to share the insights I gained and continue engaging in meaningful conversations that advocate for peace.”

See the Westchester Delegation’s full itinerary below:

Day 1: Saturday, November 8, 2025: THE STUDY TRIP BEGINS

* Westchester Delegation departs JFK on an overnight flight to Israel.

Day 2: Sunday, November 9, 2025: WELCOME TO ISRAEL!

• B’rukhim Haba’iml- welcome to Israel! Upon arrival at Ben Gurion International Airport, an Ayelet Tours representative meets us in the baggage claim area and assists us through customs.
• They ascend to Jerusalem and stop at the Haas Promenade for a special welcome ceremony as we look out over the City of Gold for the first time together.
• At Piccoli no, they enjoy a welcome dinner with Jonah Jeremy Bob, The Jerusalem Post’s senior military correspondent and intelligence analyst. He will brief us on Israel today and the political structure of Israeli politics.
  Overnight in Jerusalem (D)

Day 3: Monday, Nov 10, 2025: POLITICAL & CULTURAL RELATIONS

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• We depart our hotel early this morning and begin with a visit to the Temple Mount (security permitting). Next, we set out on a walking tour through Jerusalem’s Old City, featuring the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Quarters.
• We visit The Max Rayne Vad B’Yad (Hand in Hand) Jerusalem School, Israel’s largest bilingual Hebrew/ Arabic school, and the country’s only integrated Arab/Jewish high school, to engage in a discussion about the school’s current educational challenges and its future goals.
• After a light lunch, we visit Yad Vashem, Israel’s national memorial to the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust. Here we tour the museum and engage in a thought-provoking discussion with a renowned Jewish educator.
• This evening, a chef accompanies us through the lively Machane Yehuda market and introduces us to the most characteristic ingredients of the local cuisine as we prepare dinner together.
• After dinner, we experience how the market transforms from a bustling daytime market to a center of nightlife in the evening, including an outdoor museum of local art and graffiti.
  

Day 4: Tuesday, November 11, 2025: ISRAEL, THE START-UP NATION

• Breakfast at our hotel, followed by a meeting with Member of Knesset Shirley Pinto and a formal tour of the Knesset building.
• Afterward, we embark on a Jerusalem Tech Tour (Made in JLM) to learn about Jerusalem’s fast rise as a world-class tech hub. We explore how connections with Israeli/Jerusalem tech can create growth in tech in your region.
• We enjoy a packed lunch near Shorashim.
• Roots in English, Shorashim in Hebrew, Judur in Arabic: Since 2014, this not-for-profit group has facilitated interactions between Israeli Jewish settlers and Palestinians from nearby towns. Though they are neighbors, they often live in
• parallel universes that rarely intersect. We learn how they build bridges and foster coexistence in this sensitive area.
• This afternoon, we visit the Jerusalem Municipality and meet with the Deputy Mayor Adir Schwartz, learning about the complexity of managing a city faced with a multitude of challenges further complicated by archeological considerations and religious sensitivities. We’ll touch on city-level services, including policing,
  governance, parking, noise ordinance, trash collection, and more. We will also meet with Ran Yishai, who serves as the head of the research division of JCAP – the Jerusalem Center for Applied Policy and is active in the “If I Forget You” project, which deals with research, advocacy, and the promotion of strategic policy for
  Jerusalem.
• Tonight, dinner is at FeelBeit, where we “immerse in a fresh world of ideas and experiences” and learn how to “use art and culture to break down social and cultural boundaries.”
• We return to our hotel for a debriefing on today’s visits and plans for tomorrow.

————————–··-·———————–·—-··-··—————·—–·—————·——-
Day 5: Wednesday, November 12, 2025: RESILIENCE ALONG THE GAZA ENVELOPE

• Breakfast and check out of our hotel.
• This morning, we drove to Sderot. We learn from representatives of the city about the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack, including a visit to a police station attacked that day, and a view into Gaza. We then volunteer in a community-sponsored project and have lunch.
• We pay our respects at the site of the Nova Music Festival, emphasizing our shared hope for a better tomorrow.
• On our drive to Tel Aviv, we reflect on the events of October 7th and the Israelis’ resilience in communities along the Gaza border.
• After checking into our hotel in Tel Aviv, we set out for dinner at an Ethiopian Culture Center, including an introduction to the challenges and successes of the community. Our speaker tonight is Oshra Yosef-Friedman, Deputy Director-General at the Social Equality Ministry.

Overnight in Tel Aviv (B, L, D)

Day 6: Thursday, November 13, 2025: TEL AVIV: A CITY OF MULTITUDES

• Breakfast and check out of our hotel
• Meeting with a representative from the US Embassy to learn how the embassy’s Commercial Services team helps expedite and encourage the import of US goods and services into Israel.
• Continue to the ANU, Museum of the Jewish People, where the story of the Jewish experience across time and place-including the vibrant life of American Jewry and its enduring connection to Israel-comes to life through powerful, interactive exhibits.
• After lunch, we head to visit Hostages Square and see how this became a center of gathering over the past two years until the final living hostages were finally returned just one month ago.
• Our last stop will be at Park Ariel Sharon, a conservation-themed park built on a reclaimed and rehabilitated garbage dump. Today, it offers multiple biking and hiking trails and sits adjacent to a waste treatment center- a wonderful example of re-imagining land use.
• At our farewell dinner, we reflect on our Westchester County Elected Officials study tour to Israel. We also meet with Khaled Abu Toameh, a journalist who covers Palestinian events for the Jerusalem Post and the New York-based Gatestone Institute, where he is a senior distinguished fellow. He has been a producer and consultant for NBC News since 1989. His articles have also appeared in numerous newspapers worldwide.
• We transfer to Ben Gurion International Airport for our overnight flight to JFK.
  (B, L, 0)
  Day 7: Friday, November 14, 2025: WELCOME HOME
• We arrive in the USA.

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