Bergen County Officials, Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey Welcome Mayor of Nahariya

As part of a larger official visit to Bergen County, Mayor Ronen Marelly from Nahariya, Israel met with county officials to discuss the strong partnership between Bergen County and the Jewish community. Nahariya is the official sister city of Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey, most recently working together to help Ukrainian refugees.

Bergen County Executive James J. Tedesco, III said, “As County Executive, I often say that Bergen County’s diversity is our greatest strength and one of the best parts of the job being able to engage with all the communities that make up the vibrant fabric of our County. I am very proud to represent thousands of Jewish Americans who call Bergen County home and I want to thank Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey for their continued community partnership and civic engagement. It was a true pleasure to sit down with Nahariya Mayor Ronen Marelly as we each discussed the roles of local government as well as the strong partnership between County government and the Jewish community.”

Mayor Marelly also discussed with officials the challenges of local government and the differences between governing in America and overseas. County Executive Tedesco presented the mayor with a Bergen County challenge coin as well as other county memorabilia to commemorate their partnership.

According to County Commissioner Tracy Zur, “Bergen County and various governmental entities within Israel have often shared expertise, bringing different ideas to the table on how to best serve our residents. Thank you, Jewish Federation for connecting us to Mayor Ronen Marelly from Nahariya to foster that spirit of mutual learning.”

In addition to County Executive Tedesco and Commissioner President Zur, Commissioner Ramon Hache, Commissioner Germaine Ortiz, Commissioner Mary Amoroso, Undersheriff Jon Sung Kim, Chief Counsel Dan Zwillenberg, and County Prosecutor Mark Musella were in attendance. Assistant Prosecutor Vered Adoni joined Mayor Marelly from Nahariya.

“We are very proud of the collaborative and collegial relationships Federation has with elected officials. We live in challenging times and our partnership with our local law enforcement and government representatives is gratifying and deeply appreciated. Sharing the challenges of local government with Mayor Marelly was a very valuable experience and provided important insights for future collaboration.”  Jason M. Shames, CEO Federation

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