What a week in Albany!
The 131st JWV and 98th JWVA Joint National Convention is officially in the books, and there was a lot packed into five days.
From the opening meeting Sunday afternoon through the final banquet Thursday night, JWV and JWVA members from across the country came together to take care of business, learn from one another, honor our history, and – just as importantly – spend time together.
There were business sessions, committee meetings, leadership discussions, awards, fellowship, and plenty of conversations in between. Some of the highlights included the Fighting Antisemitism Workshop, Post-9/11 Veterans Poolhall Mixer, Vietnam Veterans Night Out, leadership development sessions, JWVA programs, the Pound Auction, and the National Commander & JWVA National President’s Banquet.
Vietnam Veterans Night Out was a particularly memorable evening, with a great presentation from Josh Rawitch, President of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in nearby Cooperstown, New York. It was a great opportunity to hear from someone whose work is all about preserving history and connecting generations – something that fits especially well with what JWV does.
And, of course, there were plenty of moments that probably won’t show up on the official schedule – catching up with old friends, meeting members from Posts and Departments we don’t see often enough, swapping ideas, sharing stories, and making new connections.
One of the things that made this convention especially meaningful was being welcomed by the local Jewish community in the Albany area. Rabbi Mordechai Rubin
of Chabad of the Capital District and his community helped provide morning minyan and Torah services during the convention. Rabbi Rubin even shared a great story about receiving a new JWV hat from Fred Altman, Commander of Albany Post 105. It was a wonderful reminder that JWV isn’t just about veterans – it is also about the connection between Jewish veterans and the broader Jewish community.
We were also glad to have the opportunity to meet and hear from Daniel McCoy – Albany County Executive, and experience some of the hospitality of the Capital District.
We thank the New York State Department of Veterans’ Services for helping veterans learn about their benefits and we thank them for their partnership as well.
Convention is also a time to recognize the people and Posts that are doing outstanding work throughout JWV.
Congratulations to this year’s National Award recipients! Awards recognized everything from community building, veteran support and volunteerism to recruiting, Americanism, promotion of Judaism, publications and online engagement.
We were especially pleased to see Albany Post 105 recognized for Best Bi-monthly Online Publication, along with the many Posts, Departments, and individual members whose work was recognized this year.
Congratulations as well to the individual award recipients, including Jerry Alperstein, Steven Solka, Julian Wyatt, and Ira Novoselsky, who were recognized for outstanding leadership, recruiting, Americanism, and promotion of Judaism.
And a special congratulations to NJA Arnold Abraham, who was selected by Immediate Past National Commander Scott Stevens to receive the 2026 Murray L. Rosen Leadership Award. This marks the third consecutive year that the award has gone to a member from the Department of the Mid-Atlantic Area & Israel.
There were also some particularly meaningful moments during the convention itself, including Scott Stevens receiving the Chapel of Four Chaplains Legion of Honor Bronze Medallion, presented by Past National Commander Nelson Mellitz.
The convention also included special presentations and gifts exchanged among the delegation – including a JWV-branded tallis presented by Past Auxiliary President Sandra Cantor and several thoughtful gifts recognizing the host state and our fellow members.
A few more thank-yous are especially deserved.
Thank you to National Commander Scott Stevens for his leadership and dedication over the past year. Every National Commander leaves his or her mark on our organization, and we appreciate everything Scott has done for JWV.
A very special mazel tov to Selina Kanowitz, who moves from National Vice Commander into the role of National Commander. We wish Selina tremendous success in the year ahead and look forward to seeing where her leadership takes JWV.
And congratulations and best wishes to Scott Schlesinger, our new National Vice Commander. Scott brings a great deal of experience and commitment to JWV, and we’re excited to see him take on this new role.
The swearing-in ceremony was a fitting way to close out the convention – with new leadership taking the oath, the colors presented, and JWV and JWVA coming together for the National Commander and National President’s Banquet.
Thank you as well to the countless people who made this convention happen – the convention, registration and credentials teams, committee chairs, presenters, National Museum of American Jewish Military History, IMN, volunteers, hotel staff, local hosts, and everyone who worked behind the scenes. A convention like this doesn’t happen without an enormous amount of work.
And to everyone who traveled to Albany: thank you for showing up, participating, speaking up, and representing your Posts, Auxiliaries, Departments, and communities.
Most of all, it was great to see so many Jewish veterans in one place.
Now it’s time to take everything we talked about in Albany and put it to work back home.
Until next year!
