LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION commending Kehila Kedosha Janina Synagogue upon
the occasion of hosting its first Greek Jewish Festival on May 31, 2015

WHEREAS, The quality and character of life in New York State is greatly
enriched by its religious institutions and the faithful and generous
service of those who devote themselves to endeavors of family, faith,
and community; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize and
commend institutions of such magnanimous conduct and bearing which
demonstrate a deep and continuing concern for others, and in so doing,
inspire others to do the same; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to commend
Kehila Kedosha Janina Synagogue upon the occasion of hosting its first
Greek Jewish Festival on Sunday, May 31, 2015, in the Lower East Side of
New York City; and
WHEREAS, Kehila Kedosha Janina was founded in 1906 by Greek-speaking
Romaniote Jews from the city of Ioannina, Greece; Romaniote Jews, the
indigenous Jews of Greece, have lived on Greek soil for over 2,300
years, and have the distinction of the longest, continuous Jewish pres-
ence in the European Diaspora; and
WHEREAS, Today, Kehila Kedosha Janina Synagogue maintains the unique
traditions of this 2,000-year-old community, and is the last Romaniote
synagogue in the entire Western Hemisphere; and
WHEREAS, In the early 20th Century, there were hundreds of other syna-
gogues on the Lower East Side that mostly served Ashkenazi Yiddish-
speaking Jews or Sephardic Spanish-speaking Jews; needing a place of
their own where they could preserve their unique traditions, customs,
liturgy, and language, a property was purchased on Broome Street, and
the congregation opened its doors to worship at its current location in
1927; and
WHEREAS, For the past 88 years, Kehila Kedosha Janina Synagogue has
served the Romaniote community on the Lower East Side and many of the
remaining neighborhood Sephardim; and
WHEREAS, In 1997, a museum was created in the women's gallery of Kehi-
la Kedosha Janina Synagogue to tell the story of this distinct communi-
ty; and
WHEREAS, This monumental event will celebrate the unique Romaniote and
Sephardic heritage of its historic community; the festival will include
live Greek, Sephardic, and Mediterranean music, traditional kosher Greek
Jewish foods and homemade pastries, Greek dancing, an outdoor market-
place full of vendors, arts and educational activities for children, and
much more; and
WHEREAS, In addition, Kehila Kedosha Janina is proud to partner with
several local organizations and community groups on the Lower East Side
including the Tenement Museum, the Museum at Eldridge Street, Saint
Barbara Greek Orthodox, the Lower East Side Jewish Conservancy, the
Lower East Side Business Improvement District, Woodward Gallery, the
United Jewish Council of the East Side, and the Lower East Side Preser-
vation Initiative, just to name a few; and
WHEREAS, Kehila Kedosha Janina will also be partnering with the Lower
East Side History Month, and the Fourth Arts Block to connect numerous
community groups and explore its shared history; and
WHEREAS, Religious institutions, and the many spiritual, social and
educational benefits they confer, play a vital role in the development
of the moral fabric of a responsible citizenry; and

WHEREAS, Kehila Kedosha Janina Synagogue of the Lower East Side, New
York City has maintained its integral mission to enrich the Greek Jewish
life and the total Greek Jewish community by developing and implementing
programs for the recreational, educational, cultural, and social needs
of the community, and by doing so, stimulate and amplify in individuals
their sense of responsibility to the local community and society as a
whole, and creating an atmosphere especially congenial to Greek Jewish
thought, beliefs and values; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commend Kehila Kedosha Janina Synagogue upon the occasion of hosting its
first Greek Jewish Festival on May 31, 2015; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to the Kehila Kedosha Janina Synagogue, Lower East Side, New
York City.