NYC Mayor Mamdani meets with Jewish leaders in Borough Park ahead of Rosh Hashanah

Ahead of the Jewish High Holidays, Mayor Zohran Mamdani visited Eichler's Judaica store in Borough Park.

The visit Wednesday comes at a time when the NYPD says antisemitism incidents account for more than half of the city's hate crimes.

The NYPD also says anti-Jewish hate crimes increased 8% year to date, compared to last year. 

Video handed out by the mayor's office, shows Mamdani at the 13th Avenue store learning about Rosh Hashanah and meeting with members of the community including Avi Greenstein, CEO of the Borough Park Jewish Community Council, Rabbi Yaakov Landau and the owner of Eichler's, Hirsch Meir Traube. 

The mayor's director of special projects, Uri Fraenkel, blew the shofar and the mayor was gifted honey which symbolizes the hope for a "sweet" New Year during Rosh Hashanah, which starts next Friday. 

The mayor wished community members a "Shana Tovah" which is a customary greeting during the holiday to wish people a "good" or happy New Year. 

Menachem Gindi, an employee at Eichler's, was there and said it was similar to visits made by politicians in the past to the store. 

"I was shocked that he was coming," said Gindi, of when his boss, the owner, gave him a heads up. 

In the middle of the visit, a customer who identified herself as Stephanie Benshimol and as a Jewish advocate, yelled at the mayor.

"Stop the antisemitism! You have all the power to stop the antisemitism. I'm begging you to do it," Benshimol said.

"All you're doing is focusing on Israel and bringing more hate to the Jewish people," Benshimol added. 

"It was uncomfortable, but I would say that she's right," Gindi said.

Mamdani's visit comes days before the UN General Assembly begins and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to attend despite a July video released by the mayor that calls him a "war criminal."

"It is clear that we do not have the independent legal authority to enforce this warrant. The federal government however does," said Mamdani about Netanyahu in a video in July.

Jewish organizations like the United Jewish Appeal of NY said in response, in part, "...vilifying the world's only Jewish state for perceived political benefit is repugnant, puts Jews at greater risk - and leaves many Jewish New Yorkers feeling targeted and unwelcome in the city we call home." 

Mamdani told CBS News New York after the video, "When we make criticisms of a nation-state or policies, we have to remember that those are criticisms of exactly that — never of a people, never of a faith."

Wednesday's outreach by the mayor comes after he held a private meeting with rabbis last month.

"We were invited by the mayor to come and speak with him about antisemitism and the spike of antisemitism that we're all experiencing," said Rabbi Rachel Timonet of Congregation Beth Elohim in Brooklyn on Aug. 11. 

Regarding Wednesday's visit, the mayor's office said, in part, "The mayor was grateful for the opportunity to wish everyone a Shanah Tovah and a happy and healthy new year.  The Mamdani administration is committed to ensuring Jewish New Yorkers can live openly, proudly and safely." 

A spokesperson added that commitment includes "increasing hate-crime prevention investments by more than 800% and the expansion of the mayor's office to combat antisemitism which will soon release the nation's first-ever municipal plan to root out antisemitism."

An NYPD representative says there will be a city-wide security briefing next week about the High Holidays.

This past Monday in Brooklyn, police leaders in Brooklyn South discussed security preparations with Jewish leaders there.