Religion

Mayor, Council Speaker Strike Deal on $112.4 Billion Balanced FY 2025 Budget

By SÍLE MOLONEY
New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, Council Finance Chair Justin Brannan, members of the City Council, and senior members of the Adams administration announced an agreement on Friday, June 28, for an on-time, balanced, and fiscally-responsible $112.4 billion adopted budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2025.

Petition Launched on Change.Org to Stop the Sale of Van Cortlandt Jewish Center

By SÍLE MOLONEY
An online petition was launched by a group called “Van Cortlandt” on June 9 on www.change.org to stop the proposed sale to a developer, as reported, of the Van Cortlandt Jewish Center (VCJC), located in the Van Cortlandt Village section of The Bronx. Though petitioners were asked to sign the petition by June 21, it appears to still be available.   

UPDATE Bernie Sanders Joins AOC, Jamaal Bowman, Unions & More in The Bronx for St. Mary’s Park Rally

By DAVID GREENE
Independent U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, and twice former Democratic presidential primary candidate joined Bronx Democrats, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Rep. Jamaal Bowman (NY-16) and Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez (NY-7), who represents parts of Brooklyn, at a last-minute campaign rally organized by the Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for Congress campaign team in St. Mary’s Park in the Mott Haven sectio of The Bronx on Saturday, June 22.

UPDATE U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders Holds Roundtable to Discuss His Support for Bowman in Mott Haven

By DAVID GREENE
Independent U.S. Senator for Vermont and former U.S. presidential primary candidate Bernie Sanders held a roundtable for roughly ten minutes with four selected journalists from the New York City area on Saturday, June 22, in the Mott Haven section of The Bronx, just before he joined Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14) and Democratic Congressman Jamaal Bowman (NY-16) at a rally in Mott Haven’s St. Mary’s Park.

Norwood Residents Hold Art Event in Support of Gaza in the Williamsbridge Oval

By SÍLE MOLONEY & MIRIAM QUIÑONES
Bronx Neighbors for Palestine held a “Make Art to Let Gaza Live” event in the Williamsbridge Oval in Norwood, by the Reservoir Oval West entrance, on Sunday afternoon, June 9. The event was organized in efforts to raise awareness about the plight of everyday Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank amid the ongoing war with Israel.

Op-Ed: The VCJC Disinformation and Distortion Campaign

By GARY AXELBANK
Van Cortlandt Jewish Center (VCJC) President Stu Harris and Board Chair Jack Kleinfeld have succeeded in boasting about their disinformation and distortion campaign that has resulted in the worst possible real estate deal available, not only for the VCJC congregation, but for the community at large as well.

VCJC Votes to Sell Center & Return as Partial Tenants

By SÍLE MOLONEY
After news broke earlier this year that the Board of Trustees of Van Cortlandt Jewish Center (VCJC) were in discussions with a developer to sell the building, despite some pushback from the local community, on Sunday, May 19, VCJC members called for a special membership meeting to be held to discuss the situation.