Fifteen State Landmarks Will Be Lit Statewide on February 27

Governor Kathy Hochul today directed state landmarks to be lit blue, white and red in honor of Dominican Independence Day. The Governor is proud to celebrate Dominican art, history and culture in New York State, and champions the million Dominican-Americans who call New York home.

“As Governor, I am honored to represent the Dominican diaspora — the largest immigrant community in New York City and where a million Dominican-Americans live across our state,” Governor Hochul said. “The Dominican community has a strong cultural, economic and social impact on the fabric of New York, and we are proud to celebrate their history, strength and resilience on this independence day. I am committed to uplifting Dominican New Yorkers and amplifying Dominican art and culture for generations to come.”

The Governor made her first official visit to the Dominican Republic in November 2025, meeting with a distinguished delegation of leaders to discuss the shared priorities of New York State and the Dominican Republic. These discussions covered priorities including climate resilience, infrastructure development, and disaster response and education, with the intent to foster a collaborative relationship that benefits Dominicans and Dominican New Yorkers as well as strengthening both economies.

These 15 landmarks will be illuminated blue, white and red in honor of Dominican Independence Day:

• One World Trade Center
• Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge
• Kosciuszko Bridge
• The H. Carl McCall SUNY Building
• State Education Building
• Alfred E. Smith State Office Building
• Empire State Plaza
• State Fairgrounds – Main Gate & Expo Center
• The “Franklin D. Roosevelt” Mid-Hudson Bridge
• Grand Central Terminal - Pershing Square Viaduct
• Albany International Airport Gateway
• MTA LIRR - East End Gateway at Penn Station
• Fairport Lift Bridge over the Erie Canal
• Moynihan Train Hall
• Roosevelt Island Lighthouse

 

Mayor Mamdani Announces $20 Million Investment in Strong Foundations Initiative to Expand Perinatal and Early Childhood Mental Health Programs for Families

 

Investment will dramatically expand eligibility criteria by including parents with more than one child, supporting perinatal and early childhood mental health clinics and expanding workforce opportunities for early childhood staff 

Today, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani announced that the NYC Health Department would receive a $20 million investment over three years for the groundbreaking Strong Foundations initiative as part of the Fiscal Year 2026 Budget. Strong Foundations will expand eligibility for the NYC Nurse-Family Partnership (NYC-NFP) to include parents with more than one child and allow enrollment later in pregnancy. As part of the three-year investment, the NYC Health Department will connect more families to visits from registered nurses that support healthy pregnancies and provide mental health resources for parents and young children while growing the mental health workforce. The funding will also expand training and workforce opportunities for early childhood mental health professionals, by establishing a three-year fellowship to develop a pipeline of clinicians with perinatal and early childhood experience. 

 

“The cost-of-living crisis hits New York City families well before the birth of their kids, which is why our administration is stepping up assistance through Strong Foundations. All parents deserve access to high-quality prenatal and perinatal care, and today’s announcement will ensure that all New Yorkers, and particularly those who face structural barriers to care, are provided with the resources they need at the very beginning of their child’s life,” said Mayor Mamdani. 

 

“The Mamdani administration is making good on its commitment to provide assistance to as many New York City families as possible. As a mother who has raised four children in New York, I understand the struggles that come with pregnancy, childbirth and infancy — and I know that far too many cannot access the care they need to navigate these experiences,” said NYC Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Dr. Helen Arteaga. “Today, I am excited that this initiative, which has helped tens of thousands of parents throughout the city, will connect even more families to registered nurses, increase access to mental health care and grow training and workforce opportunities for early childhood staff. Through the Strong Foundations initiative, we are delivering another win to working families by providing comprehensive, high-quality health care where it was previously unavailable.” 

 

“The health of our youngest New Yorkers begins with the wellness of their parents and caregivers,” said NYC Health Department Commissioner Dr. Alister Martin. “As a parent and the son of a Nurse-Family Partnership nurse, I know the benefits of high quality care and mental health support firsthand. Strong Foundations will enable us to reduce barriers and reach more expecting parents with individualized, compassionate care provided by dedicated nurses and mental health professionals.” 

 

“ACS is proud to be working with the Health Department to ensure more NYC families have access to the support they need to thrive. We know that parenting, especially a newborn, is stressful. We also know that children’s earliest days provide foundation that impacts their lives in profound ways. This investment provides hands-on, destigmatized support to reduce stress and increase attachment so parents and their children can thrive,” Luisa Linares, Deputy Commissioner of the Family Services Division at the NYC Administration for Children’s Services (ACS). 

 

Through Strong Foundations, nurses will receive additional training to serve more New York families and distribute additional supplies such as pack and plays, diapers and developmental toys. 

 

This initiative will also support expanded capacity and staffing at the Health Department’s Perinatal and Early Childhood Mental Health (P+ECMH) Network clinics and invest in workforce development by funding specialized mental health certification for 20 practitioners annually and establishing a three-year fellowship program for new graduates to develop a pipeline of staff with the skills to support families with young children.  

 

For more than 20 years, NYC-NFP has supported more than 25,000 expecting parents with a registered nurse through pregnancy, childbirth and through the child’s second birthday. The program prioritizes families who face structural barriers to care, including Medicaid enrollees, families involved in the foster care, child welfare or criminal justice system, and those facing housing instability. Clients report higher rates of breastfeeding, on-time childhood immunizations and improved economic self-sufficiency.   

NYS Office of the Comptroller DiNapoli Report Examines Post-Covid Trends in New York's Aging Prison Population

 

The long-term decline in the number of individuals in state prisons has led to a demographic shift towards an older incarcerated population, and necessitates increased attention to policies and costs associated with this population, according to a report by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli today that examines post-COVID trends in the state’s aging prison population.

“The share of older people in New York’s prisons has grown over time,” DiNapoli said. “We need careful evaluation of policies related to sentencing, parole, compassionate release, geriatric and health costs, and reentry support for this older population to determine an approach that ensures public safety and protects taxpayers, while reducing incarceration where warranted.”

DiNapoli’s 2022 report on the prison population revealed that demographic changes in the state’s prison population over the last two decades led to an increasing share of older incarcerated individuals (aged 50 and over). The decline in the overall prison population accelerated with a drop of 26% (10,861 individuals) between March 2020 and March 2021, which included a decrease of 1,603 individuals aged 50 or over (17%). The share of older incarcerated individuals peaked at 24.3% in 2021.

Since 2008, the average age of New York’s incarcerated population has risen by four years (40.2 years). One contributing factor is that a greater number of older incarcerated individuals are meeting their conditional release date in prison instead of being granted parole.

Pre- and Post-COVID Shifts in Age Groups

In 2022, there was another slight decline in the state’s prison population, but the three most recent data years (2023-2025) show a rise of 1,957 individuals in state prisons. The older prison population has remained relatively steady since 2022.

As the overall prison population declined, the percentage of incarcerated individuals who are 50 and older increased. In 2019, this older population made up 21% of those incarcerated in New York, up from 12% in 2008. Between 2022 and 2025, as the size of the overall prison population increased, the share of older incarcerated individuals dropped from its 2021 peak to 22.3%. This is still 1.3 percentage points higher than it was in 2019.

Since at least 2008, incarcerated individuals under the age of 50 account for more than 75% of the state’s prison population and more than 90% of its overall decline.

The number of incarcerated people between the ages of 50 to 59 grew by 10% between 2008 and 2020, but declined 32% between 2020 to 2025. In contrast, those ages 60 to 69 years old and 70 years old and over have grown in number and as a share of the total population. Together, they were nearly 9% of the overall prison population in 2025.

Prison Release and Recidivism for Older Incarcerated People

As the prison population has declined, so has the overall number of releases per year. In 2024, older incarcerated individuals were released from prison at a lower rate (23.1%) than the total population (28.5%).

Between 2019 and 2024, the share of conditional releases grew by 14 percentage points for the older incarcerated population to 48.6% of all releases. The share of releases for those aged 50 and over based on a discretionary Board of Parole decision has declined from 57.2% in 2019 to 48.9% in 2024.

When older individuals are released into the community, data published by the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) show they present lower rates of recidivism. For releases that occurred between 2008 and 2021, the rate of recidivism within three years for a new felony offense is 3.3% for those ages 60 to 69 and 1.7% for those age 70 and over.

Costs for Older Incarcerated Individuals

As healthcare costs have risen and New York’s incarcerated population has shrunk, the per person cost of health services spent by DOCCS has risen from $5,850 per person in State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2013 to $13,923 in SFY 2025, a 138% increase. More granular data that would allow for analysis of health care expenses for the older incarcerated population is not publicly available. As of SFY 2025, overall DOCCS’ healthcare spending has risen to $450.6 million, $53.9 million higher than the previous peak in SFY 2017.

Recent Policy Changes

Since 2017, New York has enacted and implemented a series of criminal justice changes, such as Raise the Age, limits on pre-trial detention, limits on parole revocations, and the legalization of cannabis. These changes may not have had as much of an impact on older incarcerated individuals as they did on younger individuals.  

Medical Parole and Compassionate Release are also available for people in prison who have serious medical conditions and pose no reasonable danger to society. DOCCS’ most recent annual report on Medical Parole indicated that, of the 138 medical parole applications submitted to the Board of Parole from 2018 to 2022, 84% (116) were for individuals aged 50 or older. Compassionate Release provides the board discretion to release an incarcerated individual who has already served the minimum period of their indeterminate sentence, has previously appeared before the board and been denied, and later is medically certified as so debilitated (terminal or significantly incapacitated) that they pose no reasonable danger to society.

Other initiatives have been introduced in the state legislature that would allow some people aged 55 or older to be considered for parole, would expand merit time for earlier release of incarcerated individuals, or would provide a second look at long sentences.

Report

Post-COVID Trends in New York’s Aging Prison Population

Related Reports

New York State’s Aging Prison Population

NYGOP Statement After Bragg Drops Assault Charge in Attack on Cop

 

The NYGOP released the following statement in response to Alvin Bragg's decision to drop assault charges against a 27-year-old who participated in the attack on NYPD officers in Washington Square Park, in which rocks were packed in snow before being hurled at uniformed police officers:

 

"Zohran Mamdani and Alvin Bragg are New York City's Axis of Anarchy. They just sent a message to the mob loud and clear: attack cops, and the radical Democratic establishment will have your back.

 

"With zero pushback from Cowardly Kathy, things are going to get much worse in New York City before they get better - and they'll only get better if we fire Kathy Hochul and elect Bruce Blakeman Governor."

 

-NYGOP Spokesman David Laska

Housing Lottery Launches for 715 East 216th Street in Williamsbridge, The Bronx

 

The affordable housing lottery has launched for 715 East 216th Street, a six-story residential building in Williamsbridge, The Bronx. Designed by Sierra Construction NY and developed by Erenik Nezaj, the structure yields 22 residences. Available on NYC Housing Connect are five units for residents at 80 percent of the area median income (AMI), ranging in eligible income from $75,840 to $116,640. 

715 East 216th Street in Williamsbridge, The Bronx via NYC Housing Connect

Residences are equipped with air conditioning and intercoms. Amenities include an elevator, backyard, bike storage, storage lockers, a shared laundry room, recreation room, and electric vehicle charging stations. Tenants are responsible for electricity, including stove, heat, and hot water. 

At 80 percent of the AMI, there are two studios with a monthly rent of $2,000 for incomes ranging from $75,840 to $103,680, and three one-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $2,092 for incomes ranging from $81,326 to $116,640.

Prospective renters must meet income and household size requirements to apply for these apartments. Applications must be postmarked or submitted online no later than March 4, 2026.

VCJC News & Notes 2/27/2026

 

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 2/27/26 @ 5:27 pm
   Shabbos Ends Saturday 2/28/26 @ 6:31 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.

   
   

   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. Purim

   The Fast of Esther - Starts Monday March 2 at 5:16 AM, ends at 6:33 PM
   Erev Purim - March 2, Maariv  6:30 pm immediately followed by the Megillah reading 7:00 PM We will have a light meal afterward to help break the fast.
   Purim - March 3, Morning services will be combined with KCR, Rabbi Lowenthal’s shul

   Address: 3220 Arlington Avenue

   If you need transportation please contact the office 718-884-6105

   Shacharit is 8:00 AM, followed immediately by Megillah reading
   

4. The VCJC Chavurah

   The VCJC Chavurah has begun learning Tractate Berachot.  Our next gathering will be Thursday March 5th, at 7:30PM. We are meeting on the first floor in one of the classrooms created from the Game Room.  All are welcome to join us as we continue learning together.

   
   
   If you are interested in learning torah with a group of fellow members of your community, but 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.
   
   

5. Shabbos parsha

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   Parashat Tetzaveh 5786 / פָּרָשַׁת תְּצַוֶּה

   28 February 2026 / 11 Adar 5786

   Parashat Tetzaveh is the 20th weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading.

   Torah Portion: Exodus 27:20-30:10; Deuteronomy 25:17-19

   Tetzaveh (“You Shall Command”) opens as God instructs Moses to appoint Aaron and his sons as priests. God details how to make the priestly clothing, how to sanctify the priests and offer sacrifices during the seven days of inauguration in the Mishkan (Tabernacle), and how to build the golden altar. [1]

   
   

6. You can do it! Give VCJC a boost!  Leave a (positive) review for us on Google
   -->You can do this!  We know you can! YES, YOU!

   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!

Save your place now for March 15 for a Master Class "Finding a Haven Within" NOTE THE DATE HAS CHANGED A SECOND TIME!

Sunday March 15, 12 PM

RSVP By 3/11/26: 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.

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

Illegal Alien from Honduras Sentenced to More Than 11 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Meth

 

Allan Ricardo Medina-Morales will spend the next 135 months in federal prison after being convicted of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down by Chief United States District Judge Kristine G. Baker. 

On February 7, 2023, Medina-Morales, 39, of Honduras, but illegally residing in Judsonia, Arkansas, was indicted by a federal grand jury in a four-count Indictment for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. On April 23, 2024, Medina-Morales pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Chief Judge Baker also sentenced Medina-Morales to five years supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

An investigation revealed that in March 2022, Medina-Morales, and others, conspired to distribute methamphetamine. On March 15, 2022, officers from the Conway Police Department conducted surveillance on the co-conspirator’s house when they observed Medina-Morales and the co-conspirator acting suspiciously. Officers observed Medina-Morales carrying a duffel bag from his vehicle into the house. Medina-Morales was also observed carrying an additional kilogram of methamphetamine from a tree stump in the yard into the house. 

After Medina-Morales and the co-conspirator were observed getting into the vehicle and driving away, Arkansas State Police troopers followed the vehicle and conducted a traffic stop shortly afterward. The vehicle belonged to Medina-Morales. During a search of the vehicle, officers located a Colt, Model Detective Special, .38 caliber firearm in the glove box. After obtaining a search warrant for the property, officers located approximately 10 kilograms of methamphetamine in the duffel bag and drug distribution paraphernalia. The Arkansas State Crime Laboratory later determined the substances seized by officers included approximately 11.7889 kilograms of methamphetamine.

On January 6, 2013, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents arrested Medina-Morales for illegal entry across the border near Edinburg, Texas. On October 9, 2019, the Immigration Court in Baltimore, Maryland, ordered Medina-Morales removed to Honduras, however, Medina-Morales failed to appear at court. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has a detainer to deport Medina-Morales to Honduras after he completes his federal sentence.

The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from Arkansas State Police and the Conway Police Department.