Edited by: Fern Sidman
As the New York City mayoral race heats up, it appears that businessman and former presidential candidate Andrew Yang is taking a significant lead in the polls for the executive seat at City Hall. While Yang’s positions on the issues clearly resonate with a great deal of New Yorkers, among Orthodox Jewish demographic which represents a sizable constituency in the Big Apple, they are throwing their formidable political weight behind another candidate.
Having established a vibrant and productive connection with the Orthodox community a number of years ago, Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams is now on the top of the communities’ list of candidates for mayor of the city that never sleeps. Orthodox Jews are concentrated in the Borough Park section of Brooklyn as well as Flatbush, Midwood, Gravesend, and Manhattan Beach. They also have a highly significant presence in Williamsburg, Staten Island, Far Rockaway and the Forest Hills and Kew Garden Hills neighborhoods of Queens.
As was reported Wednesday on the Yeshiva World News web site by Yehudit Garmaise, Torah observant Jews throughout the city have generated an exciting wave of enthusiastic support for Adams’ mayoral candidacy. This full throated approbation is predicated on the palpably positive and meaningful experiences that New York City’s Orthodox Jewish segment of the population have had with Adams over the years, both as Brooklyn’s borough president and his time in the NYPD. Because Adams’ has been genuinely concerned with the needs of the Orthodox Jewish communities that comprise this great city, he has earned their unwavering gratitude.
YWN reported that last week, Adams made the rounds in his political stumping and visited local mosdos as well as with the highly revered and respected Munkatcher Rebbe, Shlita. Having paid many visits to the Munkatcher Rebbe in the past, Adams was no stranger to this sagacious rebbe. It was reported that the two spent their time discussing pivotal issues confronting the Jewish community and it was there that Adams received the Rebbe’s blessings in the upcoming mayoral primary in June.
Not only did Adams receive the rebbe’s blessings but he also became the recipient of his ringing endorsement. As it pertains to chronological age, YWN reported that the Munkatcher Rebbe is the oldest of the many rebbes in Boro Park and with his endorsement comes extra layers of gravitas and profound respect and communal adherence.
YWN reported that the Munkatcher Rebbe explained that “Hakorus hatov is a middah that make us unique as a Jewish people.” He added that, “We have to have hakaros hatov for Eric, not only because of what he is going do in the future as mayor of New York City, but for what he has done for us in the past. Adams, who always shows that he supports the interests of our community, has been tested. Adams has always been on the right side of politics. We know him.”
Moreover, the Munkatcher Rebbe honored Adams for his more than 37 years of public service. Having served for 22 years as a New York City Transit Police officer, Adams retired as a captain in 2006. From there, he launched a successful campaign for the New York State Senate and has been in his current role as Brooklyn Borough President since 2013. Seeking Adams’ job as the replacement president of Kings County is New York City councilman Robert Cornegy.
The Munkatcher Rebbe pointed out that, “All of Adams’ years of public service help him to understand the public safety needs of the community.” YWN reported that Adams conducts regularly scheduled meetings with local mosdos to address concerns on community security measures, educational initiatives and voucher programs.
Many mosdos have vocalized their support by saying, “we trust Eric Adams” as they add that they always look forward to speaking with him and working with him as Adams is highly sensitive to their concerns, as was reported by YWN. “He has a proven record,” said Chanina Sperlin, who is the executive vice president of the Crown Heights Jewish Community Council Governmental Affairs. “He is not a new kid on the block,” agreed Rabbi Mayer Melnick, who is a prominent Ger askan.
