Westchester Jewish Community Services (WJCS) hosted its 2026 Gala April 15 at Brae Burn Country Club in Purchase, New York. More than 300 attendees –Westchester business, community and political leaders, including Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins, New York State Assembly members Dana Levenberg and Chris Burdick, turned out to support the agency’s major fundraising event of the year.
Honorees included Marion Morgenthal, co-founder of the WJCS POINT (Pursuing Our INdependence Together) community; Ali and Joe Torre’s Safe at Home, with whom WJCS has partnered for 20 years to provide the Margaret’s Place violence-prevention program to Westchester high school students; and Yael Friedland, who co-founded the WJCS Share Shabbat program and debuted a photo exhibit at the gala titled “Survivors Among Us: Stories From Our Community.”
“WJCS has often been referred to as the “safety net” in Westchester County,” said WJCS CEO Seth Diamond. “We have 80+ programs that address mental health, trauma, disability, youth, child, family and aging problems, as well as supportive programming for the Jewish community. We could not accomplish what we do without the support of government and foundation grants and generous donors. Our annual gala is an opportunity to celebrate those who have contributed to the strength of the Westchester community,” he said.
WJCS, founded in 1943, is one of the largest human service organizations in Westchester, providing help to nearly 20,000 county residents of all ages and backgrounds each year.
