News

There are now just under 50 days until the Presidential election. We have a chance to exercise one of our most fundamental rights as Americans, and Central in Action wants to make sure your vote counts in these unprecedented times. Our social action group has created a helpful guide that details several voting options (and instructions) for various ways to vote in New York.
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There are approximately 35,000 people under active parole supervision in New York State who at almost any time can see their efforts to successfully rejoin the workforce and reintegrate into their families and their communities disrupted by reincarceration for a technical violation. This not only harms individual lives and families without commensurate public safety gains, but also drives up the population in the state prisons and local jails, wasting taxpayer money. The Less is More: Community Supervision Revocation Reform Act would fix this problem. Read more

This letter was sent to the congregation on Thursday, June 4, 2020 As Rabbi Buchdahl so beautifully said, "The work of fighting racism cannot be left only to the Black community, just as we know that antisemitism cannot be fought only by Jews. As we look at these recent turbulent days, we have to separate the violence and looting from the call for change echoing across the country. We must hear the groundswell of voices and listen to the pain and protest emanating from every corner of our beloved nation." Our Central community is committed to fighting racism in America and helping to make our city, state, and country more just and equitable for every person. We are stronger when we learn and work together. Below, please find just a few ways we can take action, advocate, and learn together... Read More

This is the first time that you can complete the census online. Just visit: www.2020census.gov. Read more

All New Yorkers can vote by mail in the June 23, 2020 election, per an Executive Order from Governor Cuomo, by requesting an absentee ballot. Voters may complete and return the application to receive their ballot. We encourage you to vote by mail, if you can, to help stop the spread of COVID-19 and ensure that in-person voting is available to those who truly need it. Read more

Central sees our work in criminal justice reform as part of our commitment to ending the tools of systemic racism in our country. We have continued to engage in advocacy work on this issue during the pandemic. Read more

It has not even been a week since we announced that Central would become a completely “virtual” synagogue, yet the world has changed enormously since then. We are so grateful to our community and staff for the resiliency they have shown in this very difficult time. Read more

Pikuach Nefesh, the principle of “saving a life,” is paramount in our tradition. It overrides all other laws including the observance of Shabbat. With the explosion of COVID-19 cases in New York, it is no exaggeration to say that our response may be a matter of life or death. We have been consulting with some of the leading health institutions in our city, and they have been clear that one of the most important goals is to help “flatten the curve,” to slow down the spread of the virus through social distancing and lessen the potential for overburdening our city and nation's healthcare system. Read more

Last week all members received the following message, via email, from Executive Director Marcia Caban regarding Central's actions in relation to news of the Coronavirus, or COVID-19, and the steps we are taking to ensure the safety of our community. We are closely monitoring advice from government agencies and have also put together a lay committee of member-experts in fields of healthcare, medicine, and logistics. Read more