VCJC News & Notes 2/13/2026

 

Van Cortlandt Jewish Center

News and Notes

Here's this week's edition of the VCJC News and Notes email. We hope you enjoy it and find it useful!

Lots of things this week, including our Finding Your Haven class, Purim greetings, belated Tu b’Shevat kiddush, and the MLK park cleanup.  Read all the way through!

Reminders

1. Shabbos schedule
   
   
   Shabbos information is, as always, available on our website, both in the information sidebar and the events calendar.
   Here are the times you need:  
   Shabbos Candles Friday 2/13/26 @ 5:10 pm
   
   
   Shabbos Ends Saturday 2/14/26 @ 6:14 pm

   If you require an aliyah or would like to lead services, read from the torah or haftorah please speak to one of the gabbaim.

   
   

   This week’s kiddush is sponsored by BenZ Panush in honor of his father’s yahrzeit. We will also, finally, have our planned special kiddush for Tu b’Shevat. Come join us for services and stay to enjoy the kiddush and the company.
   

2. About our new kiddushim
   For the past several weeks, the VCJC has upgraded its kiddush after Shabbos services. Kiddush now takes place in the ballroom. There is a greater variety of food, which can be enjoyed while seated at covered tables. Our aim is to offer a more enjoyable and meaningful experience, and to encourage conversation and interaction among attendees. This is an evolving effort. It has received very positive reviews so far; we’d love to have your opinion as well. Please join us for services and kiddush, and let us know what you think!

3. Interested in learning torah with a group of fellow members of your community?

   Want more details?

   Contact the VCJC office at 718-884-6105 or info@vcjewishcenter.org

   Or you can speak to Stuart Harris or Matthew Hartstein after davening on Shabbat morning.
   
   

4. Shabbos parsha

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   Parashat Mishpatim 5786 / פָּרָשַׁת מִשְׁפָּטִים

   14 February 2026 / 27 Sh’vat 5786

   Parashat Mishpatim is the 18th weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading.

   Torah Portion: Exodus 21:1-24:18, 30:11-16

   Mishpatim (“Laws”) recounts a series of God’s laws that Moses gives to the Israelites. These include laws about treatment of slaves, damages, loans, returning lost property, the Sabbath, the sabbatical year, holidays, and destroying idolatry. The portion ends as Moses ascends Mount Sinai for 40 days. [1]
   

5. You can do it! Give VCJC a boost!  Leave a (positive) review for us on Google
   You can do this!  We know you can!

   The VCJC is working to build and grow for its next century in Van Cortlandt Village.  If you have had a good experience with us or recognize our value to the community, please consider telling the world about it.  Go to our Google Business Profile and leave a review.  Thanks!
   

6. Save your place now for Feb 22 for a Master Class "Finding a Haven Within"
   Sunday February 22, 12PM

   RSVP By 2/18/26: call the office (718) 884-6105 or email info@vcjewishcenter.org

   
   
   Suggested fee is $15.00. If you have a mat, bring it. If not, we have a few.
   
   
   In the swiftly moving, ever-changing world we live in today, you can find a quiet, safe, and secure haven in which there is peace, deep relaxation, and inner joy. This is what we offer you in an easy yoga-based stretching, soft meditation, and guided, systematic deep relaxation class. The results can be more effective and dramatic than you might expect. Students have had a profound effect on the increased level of their grades.  

   It is based on Prof. Barbara Kitai's 37 years of teaching this system to college academics, corporate executives, athletes, students, children, and adults of all backgrounds.

   The class consists of an introduction explaining the purpose and theory, 15 minutes of easy yoga-based stretching, and a cool down, 15 minutes of breathing techniques, meditation, 20 minutes of excellent guided relaxation throughout the body & mind, and 10-15 minutes  (time allowing) for a creative writing of self-reflection and awareness.

   See our blog post.

Participate in the VCJC Purim Greetings Program!

For a donation of $21.00 we can include your name (only) along with others who are wishing our VCJC and your family, friends, and neighbors Chag Sameach – may this Purim mark the beginning of great happiness, health and prosperity to all!!

PURIM is TUESDAY, MARCH 3

The deadline for subscribing to the greetings program is February 25.

To enroll online, go to our Donations Page and use the second drop-down option. Enter your name and Purim Greeting as the Directive. Submit the form and be sure to complete the payment as well, donating at least $21.  

You can also come into the office with your donation and fill out a form there, or mail a check.

Please help with information about buildings

As part of rebuilding the membership and congregation, the Board of Trustees would like your help. There are a lot of either new or renovated buildings being put up in our catchment area. We would like to seek the cooperation of the owners / developers of those properties in publicizing these opportunities to live near an orthodox synagogue.  If you are aware of any of these buildings, please provide what information you can about them.  This could include the address, any contact information that might be posted, and any information about the building itself (size, type, etc.). Additionally, if you are aware of vacancies in existing buildings or of houses for sale, please let us know about that as well.

3rd annual Community Cleanup Day for MLK Day

This event, for which the VCJC is an acknowledged collaborator, has now been scheduled for March 29.  See the poster below. Registration link

Our mailing address is:
Van Cortlandt Jewish Center
3880 Sedgwick Ave
Bronx, NY 10463

Wave Hill Weekly Events (Feb 19– Feb 26) | Encounter Natural Artistry in the Gardens

 

Although it is still covered by a blanket of snow, the Conifer Slope at Wave Hill has many treasures to offer. The trees along the slope offer a sense of serenity, but like an abstract painting, their branches and treetops make curious shapes and sway in breeze in different shades of green. Take in this evergreen landscape and become inspired by the natural artistry that appears across Wave Hill.  

 

Valentine's Night Out at Wave Hill 

Sat, Feb 14, 5:00PM – 9:00PM    

Celebrate Valentine’s Day with your special someone during a one-of-a-kind evening at romantic Wave Hill.   

 

Nature & Wellness 

 

Garden Highlights Walk 

Sun, Feb 22, 1:00PM – 1:30PM    

Free with admission to the grounds     

Registration not required.    

Join a knowledgeable Wave Hill Garden Guide for a leisurely stroll in the gardens. Topics vary by season and the expertise of the Guide; each walk varies with the Guide leading it. 

 

Warming Winter Yoga 

Sun, Feb 22, 1:00PM – 1:30PM        

Registration encouraged.    

Yoga returns to the majestic Armor Hall this winter! As you’re surrounded by panoramic views of the Conifer Slope, and the tranquility of the winter garden, feel reconnected and revitalized through gentle yoga practice. The flow of this beginner-level class is inspired by the frosty winter weather.  

  

Art 

 

Winter Workspace 2026: Open Studios 

Sun, Feb 21, 12:30PM  – 3:30PM    

Free with admission to the grounds     

Registration not required.    

During this Open Studios event, meet the artists participating in Session One of the Winter Workspace and see what they've been working on over the last six weeks. Visitors can learn about the artists' practice, explore each artist's studio, see new and in-process work inspired by Wave Hill and created on site, and meet other art-lovers.      

Family 

 

Family Art Project: Fan of Lunar New Year! 

Sat, Feb 21, 10:00AM – 1:00PM   

Sun, Feb 22, 10:00AM – 1:00PM   

Free with admission to the grounds     

Registration not required.    

Celebrate the Year of the Horse by learning about their role in the Chinese zodiac. Then, assemble and decorate a fan inspired by horses and other symbols of the holiday. At 11:30AM families can enjoy a holiday-inspired storytime program in the Gund Theater.  

 

HOURS STARTING MARCH 15: 10AM–4:30PM, Tuesday–Sunday  

Shuttle Service free from Subway and Metro-North, Saturday–Sunday 

Information at 718.549.3200. On the web at wavehill.org.   

Partnerships for Parks - NYC Green Fund, Bronx Parks Speak Up, and Winter Garden Tour

 

A butterfly nestled among the native plants at Narrows Botanical Gardens

NYC Green Fund Grassroots Grant Deadline Approaching

Need something to get you through the winter? Come up with an idea to support your local park or open space with your community and apply for the NYC Green Fund Grassroots grant by Friday, Feb. 20 at 11:59 p.m. Spring is right around the corner, and your grassroots organization could qualify for $1,000 to $40,000 per year for up to two years to support your idea.

Through the NYC Green Fund, Narrows Botanical Gardens in Bay Ridge was able to rescue their meadow garden which was overrun by invasives and in danger of lying fallow. They created or repurposed seventeen plant beds and grew hundreds of native plants to revive their meadow, leaving it blooming and beautiful.

What can you accomplish? Dream big and apply for the funds to make it happen through the NYC Green Fund.

APPLY NOW

NYC Green Fund Grassroots Grantees at the Bronx Parks Speak Up

The Bronx Parks Speak Up was launched in 1995 by the Bronx Council for Environmental Quality, Borough President Fernando Ferrer’s office, the Neighborhood Open Space Coalition, Transportation Alternatives, Bronx Green Up, and early Partnerships for Parks staffers to organize community groups around park issues and activate Bronx parks. Today, the Speak Up has become a mainstay of Bronx parks activism. Join us at the 32nd Annual Bronx Parks Speak Up for a conversation highlighting how Bronx-based parks and green space enthusiasts have used the NYC Green Fund Grassroots grant.

Activating Bronx Parks through the NYC Green Fund will feature Knakisha Candanedo of Friends of Echo Park, Atapon Savitz of Eastchester Road Community Garden, and Laura James of Bronx River Community Garden. Through reflective conversation and audience Q&A, panelists will share how they have activated Bronx parks and open spaces through the NYC Green Fund with community mural painting, planting events, wellness workshops, and more. The panel will be moderated by Sana Khader, training and resources manager at Partnerships for Parks.

Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, 11 a.m.–5 p.m.

Lehman College Faculty Dining Room, Music Building 

250 Bedford Park Blvd. W., Bronx, New York 10468

RSVP HERE

Garden Tour: Winter Flora in Tompkins Square Park

There's still time to register for our garden tour of Tompkins Square Park’s pollinator pocket gardens! Kathleen Corrigan, native plant expert and volunteer gardener with NYC Green Fund Grassroots grantee Friends of Tompkins Square Park, will teach about caring for gardens when plants are largely dormant. You’ll also have the opportunity to see some rare February blooms. Coffee and snacks will be provided.
 

Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026, 11 a.m.–noon
Tompkins Square Park, corner of Avenue B
and East Seventh Street, New York, N.Y. 10009

Partnerships for Parks is a joint program of City Parks Foundation and NYC Parks that supports and champions a growing network of leaders caring and advocating for neighborhood parks and green spaces. We equip people and organizations with the skills and tools needed to ensure these spaces are dynamic community assets.

American Citizen Who Penned Manifesto to Kill ICE Law Enforcement Officers Arrested in Oregon

 

When he was arrested by local police, this individual had materials in his vehicleto manufacture Molotov cocktails and had ordered an AR-15 rifle

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced an investigation into a male U.S. citizen, Rayden Colemen, who allegedly authored a manifesto detailing plans to kill U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel at the Portland ICE office with Molotov cocktails and a gun.

On February 4, The St. Helen’s Police Department conducted a traffic stop of the individual when officers discovered materials to manufacture Molotov cocktails including bottles, sand, accelerant, and a camouflage backpack with multiple knives.

During an interview with law enforcement, he admitted an AR-15 style rifle was due to be delivered on February 5, 2026, and if he had the rifle, he would have carried out his threats.

Coleman was arrested on state charges for six counts of manufacturing a destructive device, and two counts of conspiracy to commit first-degree assault. This is an ongoing investigation with ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

“Every day there are more assaults, more vehicle-ramming attacks, and more attempts to kill our officers. Now, we have an American citizen who planned to kill ICE officers with Molotov cocktails and gun them down. It’s disturbing,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “Sanctuary politicians comparing ICE day-in and day-out to the Nazi Gestapo, the Secret Police, and slave patrols has real world consequences. The men and women of ICE and CBP are fathers and mothers, sons and daughters. They get up every morning to try and make our communities safer. Like everyone else, they just want to go home to their families at night. The violence and dehumanization of these men and women who are simply enforcing the law must end.”

Sanctuary politicians' rhetoric about ICE is inciting violence against our law enforcement. Our officers are facing a more then 1,300% increase in assaults against them and an 8,000% increase in death threats.

Gainesville Felon Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison

 

William Blas Hernandez, 28, of Gainesville, FL., was sentenced to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, carrying a firearm during a drug-trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “This is another successful prosecution under Operation Take Back America, which was launched by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to deploy the full might of the Department of Justice to remove violent, drug trafficking felons like this defendant from our communities. The residents of the Northern District of Florida deserve safe, drug-free streets, and that is exactly what my office is committed to delivering by aggressively prosecuting these cases and seeking maximum punishments.”

Court documents reflect that law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on the defendant’s vehicle because he was speeding, and his vehicle matched the description from a 911 caller who reported other criminal conduct. During the traffic stop, officers established probable cause to search the vehicle, and found the defendant’s backpack with a loaded pistol, over 50 grams of methamphetamine in a variety of forms, and other drug-distribution paraphernalia. The defendant was recently released from a prison sentence for eight prior felony convictions.

“Methamphetamine is capable of destroying families and ripping through communities,” said DEA Tampa Field Division Special Agent in Charge Daniel Escobar. “We will not stop until this poison has been removed from our streets.”

“We will not allow guns and drugs to corrupt our community. We will work with our federal partners to ensure that those who choose to engage in these activities are held accountable,” said Gainesville Police Chief Moya.

The defendant’s imprisonment will be followed by a 10-year term of supervised release, meaning if he violates any of the conditions of his supervision, he will potentially face additional prison time.

The case involved a joint investigation by the Gainesville Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Adam Hapner and James McCain.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime, human and drug trafficking.

MS-13 Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Murder in-Aid-of Racketeering

 

Victim was Shot to Death in his Home in Queens

In federal court in Brooklyn, Roger Morales, also known as “Crazy,” “Ciclon” and “Cyclone,” a member of the Centrales Locos Salvatruchas clique of La Mara Salvatrucha, also known as the MS-13, in Queens, New York, pleaded guilty to the June 5, 2011 murder in-aid-of racketeering of Norman Mizzell.  The proceeding was held before United States District Judge Brian M. Cogan.  When sentenced, Morales faces a maximum term of life imprisonment.

Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, James C. Barnacle, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department, announced the guilty plea.

“With this guilty plea, the defendant has finally been held accountable for his cold-blooded murder of Norman Mizzell almost fifteen years ago,” stated United States Attorney Nocella.  “This conviction reflects my Office’s ongoing commitment to prosecuting members of MS-13 for the violence they have long caused in our community.”

Mr. Nocella expressed his thanks to the FBI’s New York Field Office and the New York City Police Department for their outstanding work on the case.

According to court filings and admissions made in court, Morales first met Mizzell when he and other MS-13 members purchased marijuana from Mizzell at his home in Queens.  Morales and other MS-13 members returned to Mizzell’s home several days later to purchase more marijuana.  When they arrived, they found that Mizzell was away, so they broke into Mizzell’s home and robbed him.  After Mizzell confronted Morales and another MS-13 member over the robbery, the defendant and other members of MS-13 decided to kill Mizzell for disrespecting them.  On the night of June 5, 2011, Morales and his co-conspirators traveled to Mizzell’s home, where they shot him several times through a window into his bedroom.  Mizzell was found dead in his home the next day.

Two Foreign Nationals Indicted in Chicago as Part of $10M Health Care Fraud Scheme

 

Two foreign nationals participated in a $10 million scheme to fraudulently bill Medicare and private insurers for nonexistent health care services, according to an indictment returned in federal court in Chicago.

In 2023 and 2024, Burhan Mirza and Kashif Iqbal, along with several co-schemers, used nominee-owned laboratories and durable medical equipment providers to submit fraudulent claims to Medicare and private health care benefit programs for items and services that were not provided, the indictment states. Mirza, 31, is a Pakistani native who resided in Pakistan and obtained the identifying information of individuals, providers, and insurers without their knowledge and used the information to support the bogus claims submitted on behalf of the nominee-owned companies, the indictment states. Iqbal, 48, is a Pakistani native who resided in Lavon, Texas, and was allegedly associated with a number of durable medical equipment providers that submitted fraudulent claims to insurers. Iqbal also laundered fraud proceeds obtained by the co-schemers and coordinated the transfer of money obtained through the scheme to Pakistan, the indictment states.

“Rooting out fraud is a priority for this Justice Department, and these defendants allegedly billed millions of dollars from Medicare and laundered the proceeds to Pakistan,” said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. “These alleged criminals stole from a program designed to provide health care benefits to American seniors and the disabled, not line the pockets of foreign fraudsters. We will not tolerate these schemes that divert taxpayer dollars to criminals.” 

“Every fraudulent submission in this case was a hand in the pocket of a senior citizen or disabled person who relies on Medicare to fund critically important care,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros for the Northern District of Illinois. “The defendants didn’t just steal from a government program; they stole from taxpayers who fund the promise of healthcare in this country. The newly established Healthcare Fraud Section in the Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to stop bad actors from draining public and private programs—especially those in the healthcare fraud space that would make it harder for legitimate patients to receive care.”

“Each fraudulent claim submitted by the defendants deprived other deserving patients from necessary medical resources and cost taxpayers their hard-earned money,” said Special Agent in Charge Douglas S. DePodesta of the FBI Chicago Field Office. “The FBI, along with our network of investigative and prosecutorial partners, will bring to justice those who engage in egregious fraudulent schemes at the expense of the American public.”

“This scheme was built on a foundation of lies — fraudulent claims for services that were never provided and a deliberate effort to funnel millions of dollars overseas,” said Special Agent in Charge Mario Pinto of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “These actions not only siphon funds from federal health care programs and private insurers but also undermine the integrity of programs meant to serve vulnerable patients. Our agency will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to dismantle these schemes and ensure those responsible are held accountable.”

The indictment charges Mirza with 12 counts of health care fraud and five counts of money laundering. Iqbal is charged with 12 counts of health care fraud, six counts of money laundering, and one count of making a false statement to U.S. law enforcement. Arraignments in federal court in Chicago have not yet been scheduled.

Three alleged co-schemers were previously indicted as part of this investigation and have pleaded guilty to federal health care fraud charges. Mir Akbar Khan, 57, of West Chicago, Illinois, recruited and managed individuals, including Fasiur Rahman Syed, 47, a citizen of India who resided in Chicago, to pose as the nominee owners of the purported medical businesses that Mirza and Iqbal used in their false submissions to Medicare. Navaid Rasheed, 43, a citizen of Pakistan who resided in Plano, Texas, admitted that he tracked payments of false claims in the United States to the nominee-owned companies, as well as disbursement of the fraud proceeds to the co-schemers. Khan, Syed, and Rasheed are awaiting sentencing.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Hayes for the Northern District of Illinois is prosecuting the case.

An indictment merely contains accusations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.