New York – A joint delegation of American Jewish and Dominicans concluded a successful visit to the Dominican Republic.

The American Jewish Committee and the Dominican American National Roundtable (DANR) hosted the delegation of 27. The other co-sponsors of the Latino-Jewish Leadership Mission to the Dominican Republic included Alianza Domincana, the Office of New York State Senator Eric Schneiderman and Hostos Community College.

“The commonality of interests is striking and the warmth of the reception in the Dominican Republic was remarkable,” said Dina Siegel Vann, director of AJC’s Latino and Latin American Institute, who, together with Diane Steinman, director of AJC’s New York Chapter, led the Jewish members of the delegation.

Built upon a firm foundation of shared interests, the trip strengthened relations between the two communities. In recent years, AJC has partnered with the Dominican American community on immigration reform, civil rights and relations between the Dominican Republic, United States and Israel.

The American Jewish and Dominican American communities have much to share regarding their relationships as Diaspora communities with Israel and the Dominican Republic.

"We were proud to co-host this historic trip with members of the Jewish community,” said Victor Capellán, president of DANR.  “We look forward to building stronger relationships between Dominicans and Jews by looking to our past as we forge a future together in the United States."

In an hour-long meeting with Foreign Minister Carlos Morales Troncoso, the delegation discussed the Iran, Venezuela, and U.S.-D.R. relations.

During the four day-visit the America Jewish and Dominican leaders met with Deputy Pelegrin Castillo, who was instrumental in the drafting and introduction of anti-terrorist legislation, considered the most stringent and sweeping in the region. This bill is in the process of being approved by the D.R. Congress.

They also met with the U.S. and Israeli ambassadors, and were joined by the D.R. ambassador to the U.S.

The Dominican Republic has been one of Israel’s most consistent supporters in Latin America since the island nation voted in favor of the 1947 UN Partition Plan. Two prominent Dominican American leaders in the delegation – Cid Wilson, former president of DANR, and Marianela Jordan, executive director of the Coordinating Agency for Spanish Americans (CASA) in Nassau County, NY – are alumni of AJC’s Project Interchange program, which has brought thousands of international leaders to Israel on educational seminars.

The joint delegation also visited Sosua, the town in the Dominican Republic where the government offered a refuge for Jews fleeing from the Holocaust. Last year NY State Senator Schneiderman helped arrange The Sosua Exhibit at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York City.