June 2010

Westchester Jewish Conference Changes Name To Become Westchester Jewish Council

The Westchester Jewish Conference officially became the Westchester Jewish Council, by a unanimous vote of its members organizations at its 34th annual meeting.

The change was made to better reflect the Jewish community relations council function of the organization, and to bring the name into alignment with its 100 sister organizations nationwide. This name change is the first step in a major new effort to more dynamically portray the organization in all communications and interactions with the community.

Another factor contributing toward the name change was a realization that “conference” is often thought of as an event that is limited in time and that occurs once or twice a year. Westchester Jewish Council, however, functions year-round on a daily basis, with a vast menu of initiatives.

President Ronald E. Burton commented on this move, “We felt that WJC deserved a ‘larger’ name; the word ‘Council’ sounded good to us from the first time we tried it. So far, the response from the public has been overwhelmingly positive. To me, it reflects this notion of well-intentioned people sitting around the table for the common good of the Westchester Jewish community - that’s not only the hope, but it’s also the expectation - it’s what we do.”

Executive Director Elliot Forchheimer added, “Our process of consideration was smooth, involving both our Executive Committee, a newly-formed Marketing Committee, and key constituents from our member organizations – all of whom have participated with a sincere sense of professionalism. Everyone realizes the long-term impact that current decisions will have and we all consider ourselves very fortunate to have a part in creating this legacy.”

To assist the WJC, the organization chose Steven R. Cony, president and founder of Communications Counselors LLC, Croton-on-Hudson, NY.

Cony is a marketing communications consultant with significant background and experience in brand development for major consumer goods as well as clients in the education, recreation, not for profit and other fields. Cony and his colleague Roy Temkin, of Chase Temkin & Associates, Hawthorne, NY, were contracted to develop a new organizational logo, new Theme Line (tag line) – Connect Here – and in turn a complete new brand identity.

Commenting on the engagement, Cony said, “This is one of the most rewarding assignments I have had in the 21 years of my professional practice. The WJC leadership has all been maximally supportive during a very exciting process. I feel like my client is my cheerleading team.”

The Westchester Jewish Council is the central coordinating, advisory and resource body for the 140 Jewish organizations and nearly 150,000 Jewish residents of Westchester. As a Jewish community relations organization, the Council unites Westchester Jewry with the State of Israel, fosters communication between Jewish organizations, as well as cultivates and strengthens relations with other ethnic groups, elected officials and the community at large.

 

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