Yeshiva University and the Philos Project Hold Second Annual Nosotros Evening of Jewish-Latino Art

The YU Schneier Program for International Affairs and the Philos Project held the second annual Nosotros@YU event Oct. 18, bringing together the Washington Heights Jewish and Latino communities.

The event, designed to help foster a relationship between both communities, was held in the Weissberg Commons and drew in a crowd of around 200 people, including YU students and faculty, members of the Washington Heights community and state and local politicians.  

The event included a buffet with kosher Dominican food, as well as artwork by the artists Deyvi Perez C. and Johnnatan Stubbs. Paintings exhibited depicted images of suffering from various periods in Jewish history, as well as representations of Jewish Nobel Prize winners, including Albert Einstein, Milton Friedman and Shimon Peres. However, to express the more somber atmosphere, the event didn’t include a band, unlike last year.  

"Nosotros is a simple reminder of our shared judeo-Latino values and the impact our friendship has had upon our culture and communities,” Jesse Rojo, director of Philos Latino told the Commentator. “As a Washington Heights native, I'm proud to have had the honor to organize an event that brought together our community when our Jewish friends most needed it. Nosotros 2023 was our statement of solidarity with Israel and the Jewish people."

Speakers included Director of the Schneier Program Ronnie Perelis, Washington Heights State Assemblymember Manny De Los Santos, Director of Events and Partnerships for the Office of the Manhattan Borough President Maria de la Cruz, as well as other local community and church leaders. Many of the speeches, often made in Spanish, stressed common human experiences that affect both the Jewish and Latino communities. Speakers also expressed their support for Israel following the outbreak of war on Oct. 7.

The final speaker of the event was the artist Johnnatan Stubbs, who had put the exhibit together. He pointed out the image of the sun painted in each picture at the event depicting Jewish suffering, and declared that “there will always be hope for Israel.” He ended by pointing out that Israel is a blessing to humanity. The speeches were preceded and finished off with performances of Hatikvah on violin.

“At a time of Jewish crisis, as our enemies reveal themselves, so do our friends,” Yisrael Rosner (YC ‘25) told the Commentator. “On Wednesday, through food and art — two of the most universal cross-cultural connectors — something beautiful happened. At the annual Nosotros@YU event in Washington Heights, the NY Latino community and local government representatives stood in solidarity with Israel and the Jewish people. An ally in a time of crisis is more than an ally, but a friend, and that’s exactly what the WH Latino community has proven to be.”

____

Photo Caption: Attendees of Nosotros at YU displaying the flags of Israel and the Dominican Republic

Photo Credit: Yeshiva University