In the vibrant heart of Queens, amidst the bustling diversity that defines our borough, we are rising against the tide of hate targeting our Asian and Jewish communities. We held a special event that transcends boundaries, bringing together government officials, AAPI and Jewish leaders, and captivating performers for an unforgettable evening of solidarity and action.

Presented by American Jewish Committee, Committee of 100, and the Queens Jewish Community Council, in dynamic collaboration with the NYC Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes and JCRC-NY, this event was not just a moment, but a movement. We were igniting candid conversations and fostering enduring partnerships to combat hate head-on.

Be inspired by influential speakers and a thought-provoking conversation moderated by Shawn Ma, Director of Asian American Affairs, Office of the Governor and Committee of 100 Next Generation Leader ’24, and immerse yourself in the rhythm of unity with a special performance by celebrated Jewish rapper Kosha Dillz and performer Rebecca Lee Lerman!

Together, let’s commit to ongoing dialogue, collaborative initiatives, and unwavering resilience as we pave the way for a brighter, more inclusive future grounded in respect, dignity, and compassion. Join us in this pivotal moment as we stand tall, speak louder, and forge alliances that will shape the narrative of Queens and beyond. Together, we are stronger, and together, we will build a community where hate has no place.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo Credit: Vlad Kolesnikov/Michael Priest Photography

Congresswoman Grace Meng
United States Representative

U.S. Congresswoman Grace Meng is serving her sixth term in the United States House of Representatives, where she represents New York’s Sixth Congressional District. Grace’s district is located entirely in the New York City borough of Queens, including west, central, and northeast Queens. 

Grace is the first and only Asian American Member of Congress from New York State, and the first female Congressmember from Queens since former Vice Presidential nominee Geraldine Ferraro. 

In Congress, Grace serves on the powerful House Appropriations Committee, where she is New York’s senior member and is the Vice Ranking Member. Grace sits on both the State and Foreign Operations subcommittee and the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies subcommittee. The House Appropriations Committee is responsible for funding the federal government’s programs and activities. 

Grace serves as the First Vice-Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, a co-Chair of the House Bipartisan Taskforce for Combatting Antisemitism, and as a Vice-Chair of the LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus. 

Additionally, in order to combat the rise in hate and violence that increased during the coronavirus pandemic, Grace passed the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act into law.

Prior to being elected to Congress, Grace served in the New York State Assembly. Before entering public service, she worked as a public-interest lawyer.

Melinda Katz
Queens District Attorney

Melinda Katz became the District Attorney for Queens County in January 2020, making history as the first woman to hold the office.

Under her leadership, the District Attorney’s office ensures that all defendants are treated fairly and in a non-discriminatory manner, while protecting the communities it serves in the most diverse county in America.

District Attorney Katz restructured the office with new bureaus and mandates to manage challenges including taking guns off the street, empowering victims of domestic violence and human trafficking and seeking justice even in the oldest of cold cases.

Her long record of public service began with her 1994 election to the New York State Assembly where she wrote and passed legislation to protect New York’s most vulnerable residents. District Attorney Katz was a member of the New York City Council from 2002 to 2009 and served six years as the Borough President of Queens.

District Attorney Katz was born and raised in Queens and educated in public schools. She graduated with honors from the University of Massachusetts and received a Juris Doctorate from St. John’s University School of Law.

Donovan Richards Jr.
Queens Borough President 

Donovan Richards Jr., a lifelong resident of Southeast Queens, was elected Borough President in November 2020. 

As a Council Member, he chaired multiple influential committees, resulting in historic citywide investments in affordable housing, police oversight, clean energy and infrastructure. 

As Queens Borough President, he has been a tireless advocate for The World’s Borough, allocating more than $220 million in capital funding across Queens’ schools, cultural institutions, hospitals, libraries, parks and more.   

In the wake of Hurricane Ida, the Borough President formed Operation Urban Sustainability to combat climate change, while continuing pushing to make Queens a more resilient borough. 

To better support the more than 1 million immigrants who call The World’s Borough home, he created the Immigrant Welcome Center at Queens Borough Hall in 2021, which has served hundreds of individuals over its first two years. 

To help rebuild the Queens economy, Borough President Richards created the Queens Small Business Grant program for Queens entrepreneurs impacted by COVID-19, secured a commitment from JetBlue to keep its headquarters in Queens and oversaw the redevelopments of both LaGuardia and Kennedy airports. 

The Borough President has also empowered numerous historically disadvantaged communities through initiatives such as the Youth and Young Adult Council, Downtown Jamaica Improvement Council, the Queens Tech + Innovation Challenge and Borough Hall on Your Block. 

Eva Wyner
Deputy Director of Jewish Affairs
Office of Governor Kathy Hochul 

A graduate of Columbia University and The Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS), Eva Wyner has a broad background in the political arena. Prior to her work with Governor Hochul in the Executive Chamber, she was a campaign Manager for Radnor Democrats for School Board; a Field Organizer & Jewish Outreach Director for the Tali Farhadian Weinstein for Manhattan DA campaign; Field Organizer for the Pennsylvania Democratic Party; and Co-Founder and Co-Chair of Jews for Joe.

Eunice Lee
Deputy Executive Director
NYC Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes 

Eunice Lee is the Deputy Executive Director for the New York City Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes, which is part of the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice. As a lifelong New Yorker, Eunice has a passion for how local government can support and empower community-led, community-driven initiatives, particularly for those impacted by violence and crime. She previously worked at the Office of the Inspector General for the New York City Police Department with a focus on community outreach and data management, and as a Domestic Violence and Crime Victim Advocate for Safe Horizon’s Crime Victim Assistance Program. She has also provided academic, professional development, and generalized reentry services for youth with prior justice involvement at the Center for Alternative Sentencing and Employment Services. Eunice holds a BA in English from Amherst College and a Master of Public Administration in Inspection and Oversight, with a specialization in organizational assessment and monitoring, from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. 

Christle Lendore
Community Outreach Specialist
FBI 

Christle Lendore began hercareer with the FBI in November 2015 working in the Counterterrorism Division, Human Resources Division, and as a Mission Support Analyst before transferring to Community Outreach. As a Community Outreach Specialist, the scope of work covers all of New York City, Long Island, and 17 surrounding counties including Westchester and Hudson Valley.  

The FBIs mission for Community Outreach is to bridge the gap between Law Enforcement and the community. We are committed to diversifying and cultivating community relationships in hopes of changing the narrative regarding law enforcement and marginalized communities.  

Gabriel Mendoza
Assistant Deputy Chief, Hate Crimes Bureau; Deputy Director, Litigation Training
Queens DA’s Office

Gabriel Mendoza is the Assistant Deputy Bureau Chief of the Hate Crimes Bureau, and Deputy Director of Litigation Training for the Queens DA’s Office. He joined the office in 2011 and is a graduate of Fordham University School of Law and Texas State University. ADA Mendoza investigates and prosecutes crimes targeting individuals because of their race, religion, national origin, gender, or sexual orientation, and works closely with the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force, while engaging in extensive community outreach and other efforts to combat hate crimes in Queens County. Additionally, ADA Mendoza assists in the training of incoming ADAs as well as the continued training and legal education of ADAs in the office. Prior to his position HCB, ADA Mendoza was a supervisor in the Violent Criminal Enterprises Bureau. Over the course of his career, he has investigated and prosecuted violent felonies, complex multi-defendant cases, conspiracies, and homicides. Recently these investigations have led to multiple long-term investigations, arrests, and convictions of members of violent street gangs including MS-13, Latin Kings, and Trinitarios. In addition to litigation, ADA Mendoza serves as a liaison on behalf of District Attorney Katz to the Queens community Hispanic civic leaders, supervises and mentors student-interns, serves on the QDA hiring committee, conducts various training sessions for law enforcement, and regularly speaks on behalf of the DA’s office to various student and civic organizations.

Sara Monaghan
Supervisory Special Agent
FBI 

Sara Monaghan is a Supervisory Special Agent with the FBI. She manages a team of investigators who conduct investigations into violations of federal civil rights statutes. Prior to working Civil Rights, SSA Monaghan worked Counterintelligence matters as well as managed a team involved in large scale forensic evidence collection. SSA Monaghan has been with the FBI for 18 years.

Shawn Ma
Director of Asian American Affairs
Office of Governor Kathy Hochul 

As director of Asian American affairs, Shawn Ma is the governor’s point person with a key constituency in New York. Ma, who cultivates connections between the Hochul administration and constituents in the AAPI community, assumed the role at the start of this year, following a stint as a special assistant in the Hochul administration. He was also director of operations and strategic projects at City Hall in New York City, gaining substantial experience around community engagement and project management. 

Kosha Dillz is a NY Israeli American rapper based in Bushwick Brooklyn!  An artist who breaks barriers, he became the first artist to rap in Hebrew on BET back in the 2012 cypher with Rza of the Wu Tang Clan. Later becoming a billboard charting artist 2016, a lot of his music has crossed boundaries of Jewish life to Hip Hop life and DIY music life. His goal is quite simple; become a hit in pop culture so undeniable with content and song creation as an artist ,he ultimatley has the opportunity to advocate for his community at a higher level. His goals are becoming reachable, as he started street performing outside Madison Square Garden during Covid era making viral collab videos with Fat Jhoe and The Migos is now a cast member on MTV’s Wild ‘N Out with Nick Cannon for the past 3 seasons, becoming widely known as the “Jewish Rapper” of the comedy battle rap show. His freestyle rap skills in NYC have grown from performing outside Katz’s Deli making light-hearted videos about matzah ball soup to making songs advocating for hostage release and creating “man on the street” interviews at protests through the city that have been seen by over 35 million people.  

When interviewing himself he stated “he wouldn’t have it any other way. I am proud of what I am accomplishing.” 

Rebecca Lee Lerman is a New York City based performer, writer and producer. Roles include Little Becky Two Shoes in Urinetown (Fire Island Pines Arts Project), Emily Hobbs in Elf (Mill Mountain), Leah in Beautiful Thing with Nicu’s Spoon Theatre and All Asian Productions of Hello Dolly, Carousel and Oliver with the National Asian Artists Project. Upcoming TV Movie: A Conflict of (Love) Interest. 

Rebecca has also done voice over work with Reimagined: A Virtual Reality Animation Series and Sora. Shorts, works commissioned by Tribeca Film Festival to be screened June 15th. 

Her musical, Her Hotel, won Jury selection: Outstanding Production at WTFringe Virtual Festival 2020. It was filmed live via zoom with pre-recorded music videos. It became an Official Selection at Queens World Film Festival 2021 and a Semi-Finalist at Dumbo Film Festival. Her other short films and plays were featured at The Pan Asian Repertory Theatre, Universe Multicultural Film Festival and The Asian American Film Festival. 

Rebecca’s screenplay IN RED, placed as a Quarterfinalist with the Screencraft Horror Competition 2024 and the Filmmatic Horror Awards Season 8. 

Rebecca has written for Mixed Asian Media and was Media Director for their Mixed Asian Media Festival. 

www.rebeccaleelerman.net

Laura Epstein
Vice President
ACCESS NY

A Boston-area native, Laura Epstein joined the AJC community in 2020. Over the last four years, she has served on the regional and national levels, paying particular focus on growing opportunities for ACCESS leaders, AJC’s young professionals’ network. 

Epstein is currently the Vice President of ACCESS New York, and chairs the group’s Nominating Committee and Black-Jewish relations efforts. Since 2022, she has served as a member of the ACCESS Global Board, representing ACCESS-aged leaders around the globe. In New York, Epstein also sits on the Regional Executive Committee. Epstein is the sole ACCESS-aged member of AJC’s Africa Institute Board. 

In her professional life, Epstein is an award-winning Content Developer for Ralph Appelbaum Associates, a global museum exhibition design firm whose portfolio includes many of the world’s most recognizable public learning institutions. Since joining the firm, Epstein’s projects have included the White House Historical Association in Washington, DC; the William J. Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock, Arkansas; Tree of Life in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; the Holocaust Memorial Miami Beach in Miami, Florida; the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development in Monrovia, Liberia; and the First Americans Museum in Oklahoma City. 

Epstein holds an MA in Museum Studies with a concentration in exhibition development from the George Washington University and a BA in American Studies from Franklin and Marshall College.