Suffolk Courts Celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month With Music, Art, Broadway Classics

CENTRAL ISLIP, NY — The Suffolk County Courts marked Jewish American Heritage Month with a celebration highlighting the cultural and artistic contributions of Jewish Americans, featuring live music, educational programming and a courthouse art exhibit honoring Jewish heritage and traditions.

Held in the Central Jury Room of the John P. Cohalan Jr. Courthouse, the event brought together members of the court and legal community both in person and virtually for this year’s theme, “Jewish Contributions to the Great American Song Book.”

District Administrative Judge Andrew Crecca said the courts were proud to host the event as part of the judiciary’s ongoing efforts to recognize and celebrate cultural diversity throughout Suffolk County.

The centerpiece of the celebration was a live presentation by Dr. Rav-Hazzan Scott Sokol, a singer and senior neuropsychologist at the Gund Learning Diagnostic Center, joined by saxophonist Ethan Lander and pianist Steven Belfer. The three classically trained Jewish musicians combined a multimedia presentation with live musical performances exploring the influence Jewish-American composers and lyricists had on American music and Broadway.

Audience members were treated to performances of classics including “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” “Blue Skies” and “My Romance.” The presentation concluded with a spirited rendition of “If I Were a Rich Man” from Fiddler on the Roof, prompting attendees to clap and sing along.

“Most people do not know that to a remarkable degree, music from Broadway was shaped by Jewish lyricists and composers throughout the twentieth century,” Dr. Sokol said during the program. “In many ways, the Broadway musical stands as one of the great cultural creations of the American Jew.”

Attendees also enjoyed a kosher lunch as part of the celebration.

The event was sponsored by the Suffolk Jewish Lawyers Association, the Suffolk County Bar Association and Suffolk County’s Equal Justice in the Courts Committee. Organizers said the program was designed to both educate and celebrate the impact Jewish Americans have had on American culture.

“Today’s program highlights how Jewish Americans, through their heritage and experiences, played a truly defining role in shaping some of our most popular music and impacting America’s collective identity,” Supervising Judge of Supreme Court Matrimonial Parts Cheryl Joseph, chair of the Equal Justice in the Courts Committee, said.

As part of the month-long celebration, Suffolk Courts also unveiled a special art exhibit displayed on the second-floor mezzanine of the Cohalan Courthouse and at the Cromarty Courthouse in Riverhead. The exhibit, donated by the Islip Arts Council in Bay Shore, showcases works by Jewish artists reflecting themes of culture, tradition and lived experiences.

The courts will continue their Jewish American Heritage Month programming on May 27 with a continuing legal education program titled “Text, Tradition, and Interpretation: Jewish Law and the Constitution.” The program will be offered both virtually and in person at the Cohalan Courthouse and will examine the relationship between Jewish legal traditions and American constitutional principles.