Drs. Elena and Carl Procario-Foley received Yitzhak Rabin Peacemaker Award from the Coalition for Mutual Respect in New Rochelle for their work in the community Sept. 30.

The Peacemaker Award is awarded every year to individuals who foster understanding between religions and strengthen the community. It is presented in honor of Rabin, the former Prime minister of Israel. He worked in forging the Oslo peace accords.

“It was very meaningful to receive the award with my husband,” Elena said. “He does a lot of work in the community though the office of Mission & Ministry and reaches out to many people in the community. The coalition comes together to build better race and religion relations. Many people over the years have received the award and have done amazing work.”

Elena is the chair of the religious studies program and teaches the core courses in religious studies. She focuses on a number of different fields including various branches of theology, Christian feminism and Vatican II. Her current focus is on the field of Catholic-Jewish relations and dialogue. She is also the former chair of the Council of Centers on Jewish-Christian relations.

Carl is the director of the Office of Mission and Ministry, a post he has held since 1995. He also serves as president of the inter-religious council. His department works in a number of different aspects throughout the community and helps the underprivileged. The Office coordinates Iona in Mission program and many other community outreach programs. It also runs the Success Center, which is Iona’s after-school program that offers free tutoring to children in the community.

“It was wonderful to receive the award with my wife,” Carl said. “It is an affirmation of our shared commitment to dialogue. This award was an affirmation that any work I do is an award for the work my department does.”

The Coalition for Mutual Respect was created in 1979 by Rabbi Amiel Wohl of Temple Israel in New Rochelle and Rev. Vernon A. Shannon of St. Catherine’s African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church in order to foster communication and understanding between the African-American and Jewish communities in New Rochelle.

The Coalition has achieved a number of great accomplishments, such as conferences that teach how to combat racism and anti-Semitism as well as coordinating the development of a local weekly television show.