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NYC Mayor Mamdani Visits Two Crown Heights Sukkahs During Tuesday Night Visit

by CrownHeights.info

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani visited Crown Heights Tuesday night for a Sukkos visit that included stops at two local sukkahs, meeting with community figures as well as a number of senior city officials and political appointees.

The visit came just hours after Mamdani unveiled the city’s first municipal Strategy to Combat Antisemitism, a sweeping plan that includes increased funding for hate-crime prevention, additional security funding for synagogues and other houses of worship, expanded Holocaust and Jewish-history education, and renewed coordination among city agencies.

Mamdani’s first stop was the sukkah of Mrs. Devorah Halberstam, whose son Ari was murdered in the 1994 Brooklyn Bridge terrorist attack. Halberstam has long been active in Jewish communal affairs and has regularly hosted elected officials, law-enforcement leaders and other public figures in her sukkah during Sukkos.

The mayor arrived at the location through an alleyway rather than from the public-facing street, keeping his arrival largely out of view of the surrounding street. The gathering itself included a sizable contingent of city officials and political figures. Among those present were Governor Kathy Hochul, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch and City Council Speaker Julie Menin, according to reporting from Israel Hayom.

The visit also came amid increased attention to Mamdani’s relationship with New York’s Jewish community. Earlier in the day, his administration announced its antisemitism strategy, which the city described as a “whole-of-government” effort to prevent hate violence, combat antisemitism, support victims, protect Jewish institutions and engage Jewish New Yorkers across the ideological spectrum.

From Halberstam’s sukkah, Mamdani continued to a second Crown Heights sukkah, that of Rabbi Yaacov Behrman, a local community activist and Chabad-Lubavitch media liaison.

Behrman subsequently told JNS that he hosted Mamdani in his sukkah in his personal capacity, emphasizing that the mayor had been in the neighborhood for an event and that he and his family hosted him afterward to share the holiday experience. Behrman said the conversation focused on Sukkos, family and the lessons of the sukkah. His children also spoke with the mayor about the ushpizin, the spiritual guests traditionally welcomed into the sukkah.

Behrman said the family blessed the mayor that he should be “a uniter and bring New Yorkers together.” He also clarified that the visit was a personal interaction and not undertaken in his official capacity as a Chabad media liaison.

Mamdani’s appearance in Crown Heights comes against the backdrop of significant disagreement within the Jewish community over his policies and positions, particularly regarding Israel and antisemitism. Major Jewish organizations have raised concerns that the city’s new antisemitism strategy does not directly address anti-Israel rhetoric, while other Jewish organizations and leaders have welcomed the administration’s increased investment in security, hate-crime prevention and Jewish community engagement.

Photos: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office

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22 Comments

    • Sadly...

      … with all of Yaakov and Devorah’s good intentions, their conversations with him will NOT be successful in getting him to tone down the antisemitism that is getting NYC Jews attacked R”L. 10 leftist “tabbis” each told him a meeting in August that he needs to tone it down yet last week he opened his mouth in full force about Bibi’s visit.

  • Shmully

    We haven’t learned yet anything from History?! still? After the Holocaust, October 7th, Obama, the past few years. And you disgustingly think that this time you’ll be “smarter” and it’s a good thing “it’s needed”. Kinda pathetic we still haven’t learned when we know the end of the story from the sociopath smiley Hitler.

  • Shame on them

    It’s not “personal” when you hold a title.
    Don’t represent us!
    You gave him the photo op that he wanted in the name of Crown Heights. How are you not ashamed of yourself

    • Yaakov Nurik

      I can hardly believe that not only was this thug invited to sukkahs but blessed by a Rav. The time as Long passed when we should grovel before our enemies.

  • Anonymous

    I want to see where he goes with this.

    This is not “trust but verify” but, rather, “you talk the talk. Now walk the walk!”

  • Ephraim Daniel Botnick

    To be clear: as a Crown Heights resident, neither Halberstam nor Behrman represent me in any way possible. They are embarrassments at best.

    • Then again...

      … neither do any of our elected officials, on city, state, or congressional level, who are either progressive Democrats or afraid of the DSA. The yidden in Henderson, NV, where son and his family live, have such a mechaya to have elected officials who ACTUALLY REPRESENT THEM — Republicans or moderate Democrats, all the way up to the 2 moderate Democrat pro-Israel senators!

  • Disgusting

    These people would happily invite Haman to their homes if they could get a photoshoot and some publicity. There are plenty of politicians we don’t like but invite, but we have to draw the line somewhere. And the line is inviting this Haman Harashah.

  • Kalman Leib

    A mayor who rallies his base on lies like the Israel is doing genocide, should not be invited to Crown Heights, why? Because we show
    weakness to a individual who openly criticizes Israel with Lies and falsehoods, he puts the lives of Jews at risk here in nyc with his anti Jewish statements

  • Rodef

    The only thing worse than someone who spreads horrible lies which causes violence and attacks against Jews, is Jews who r”l give the purveyor of those dangerous antisemitic lies a Kosher hechsher.
    These people need to be put in Cheirem, they are causing real hatred and violence against us.

  • Jay Sorid

    Photo-ops are cross endorsements and recognitions of power.

    #1) Anti-Israel Mayor Mandami received the implied endorsement and Jewish seal of approval by CH’s most prominent Jews (such approval should’ve come from elected CHJCC or Rovs).

    Mandami is enabled now to repeat the “Israel genocide” / “AIPAC monsters” blood libels.

    #2) The CH Jews in photo-op received the cross endorsement of Mayor.

    • meyer chein

      That is why we are in galut. The landlords and the politicians in Crown Heights are self serving people

  • Sora Tiferes Geula

    BS”D Pitty they didn’t slaughter a pig, and bring its head inside the Sukkah.
    Maybe their usphizim were Nebuchanezzar & Titus may their names be blotted out. Shame on you!

  • Yakov Khanin

    IMHO, it is just a show of respect to the office, not endorsement. By calling him hitler and all the other names you don’t help the situation of the Jews in NY in any way. Yes, dealing with him and his administration you are not allowed to deny the fact that the land of Israel belongs to the nation of Israel, but to deal with the office you are forced just by the fact of living in that city.

  • Sukkah Photo-Op Has Already Created Propaganda that CH Jews are Mixed on Mamdani

    Respecting an elected official does not require you to invite them into your home or bring them to the Ohel. What’s going on is a PR stunt in exchange for possible future benefits to Jewish not-for-profits, but will embolden the Mayor to continue scapegoating Jews.

    https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/mayor-mamdani-gets-mixed-reception-at-sukkot-events-in-crown-heights-brooklyn/ar-AA2dj6CT

    JayS

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