What was supposed to be a humdrum, low-key, casual legislative breakfast complete with schmoozing and lots of speechifying from a lectern turned into commentary about one of the attendees. The surprise guest was a New York City mayoral candidate who wanted to schmooze with the crowd. And the guest was made unwelcome by more than just a few attendees.
Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani (D – Astoria, Queens) came early to COJO Flatbush’s 46th Annual Legislative Community Breakfast on Sunday, May 4, and stayed about 45 minutes or so. Leon Goldenberg, the first vice-president of COJO Flatbush and CEO of Goldmont Realty, explained to the more than 200 people gathered how it was that Mamdani had come to attend the event.
“It is an open breakfast. Every legislator gets invited. You can show up. We will not physically eject you,” Goldenberg said. “[But] we don’t appreciate you coming here and saying you are friendly with the Jewish community, and those who took pictures with [you] really should be ashamed of themselves.” He noted that “the leadership of COJO is not in any of those pictures.”
The social service agency honored eight people from the worlds of politics, banking, medicine, community organization, and non-profits, as well an emissary from Israel.
The breakfast began with reaction to and sharp criticism of Mamdani’s appearance at the Kol Yaakov Hall in Midwood, Brooklyn. After Mamdani left, Assemblyman Kalman Yeger (D – Midwood, Brooklyn) commented, “He came in, took pictures – and the joke is going to be on us. He’s going to put those pictures in the papers, in his Twitter. ‘I had the great privilege this morning of standing with the Jews in Midwood.’ But he’s laughing at us.”
“They do it and…we let it happen. We have to stop it,” Yeger continued. “We know who the antisemites are. There are three running for mayor this year in the Democratic party. Three vile antisemites… We’re left with the worst choice for us. We have to choose someone who’s not, and I think we all know where we have to end up in the primary. We have to stop letting them in. We have to stop giving them kavod. We have to stop allowing them to use our good name for their cause and then laugh at us.”
Yeger continued with his tirade about Mamdani, who left before the event began and did not eat at the breakfast but stayed in the foyer talking to people. “[He] is one of the most vile antisemites in public office in New York. He trashes us every single day and he’s been doing it for years,” Yeger said. “He has the chutzpah to walk into a Jewish event as if nothing is wrong…and everything is normal. The criticism is, we shake his hand. We invited him in. We let him in. What are we doing? We have antisemites who find their way into the COJO Breakfast every year – some may be here right now. One day a year they come [here], they eat our lox, and 364 days a year they try to destroy us. They try to decimate Jewry in New York. They hate our guts. They hate us so much and we let them in,” he concluded.
Others came to the lectern to echo Yeger’s comments. “I would tell Mamdani that he is not welcome here. Not only is this guy, who is second runner-up for mayor of New York City, an antisemite and an avid Israel-hater, he’s also a socialist, and I don’t know if you guys know how dangerous the idea of communism and socialism is,” said New York City Council member Inna Vernikov (R – Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn). “I’m glad he was here so he can remind us who not to vote for this year.”
Assemblyman Alec Brook-Krasny (R – Seagate, Brooklyn) said, “Kalman, you’re right. Let’s get them out of here. Kalman, never apologize for being right. Israel, we love you and will support you from anywhere in the world. It’s a country of builders fighting some destroyers.”
Prior to the breakfast, this reporter spoke to Mamdani.
“I am not an antisemite. To be frank with you, I’ve been disappointed in the way that people have sought to weaponize it. There is a real crisis of antisemitism in the city,” he said, “an alarming rise in incidents of that nature to make a point around Israel and Palestine. I’ve been very clear in my own definition of myself and where my positions come from and in the fact of what New Yorkers deserve as a politician that is consistent no matter what room they are in.”
He was clear to distinguish between his personal beliefs and the beliefs his constituents in New York City hold. “When you ask people to explain their caricatures of myself, it always stems back to my critique of Israeli policy. I’ve always been clear that those critiques are borne out of my desire for universal human rights and [abiding by] international law. That is something I’m proud of,” he stated. “I continue to believe in a sense of freedom, justice, and safety for all people. There has been an attempt to make it seem that it is in some way a critique of Jewish New Yorkers when in fact that is not the case.”
The assemblyman, who is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, said he is running for mayor to freeze rents, make buses fast and free, and deliver free universal childcare.
The annual COJO Breakfast began 46 years ago. Last year, the organization served 30,000 clients and did performed more than 60,000 services, according to its president, Moshe Zakheim. COJO Flatbush offers more than a dozen services to the community at-large.
This year’s award recipients were: Congresswoman Laura Gillen (D – Hempstead, Nassau County) – Distinguished Statesmanship Award; State Senator Jessica Scarcella-Spanton (D – West Brighton, Staten Island) – Distinguished Legislator Award; Assemblyman Lester Chang (R – Sunset Park, Brooklyn) – Distinguished Leadership Award; The Honorable Ofir Akunis, Consul General of Israel in New York – Distinguished Public Leadership Award; New York City Councilwoman Mercedes Narcisse (D – Canarsie, Brooklyn) – Council Member of Distinction Award; David Shakovitsky – COJO Volunteer of the Year Award; Roni Shayfer, Valley Bank first vice-president and divisional head of Manhattan/Brooklyn – Excellence in Banking Award; Dr. Steven Rudolph, director of neurology and The Stroke Center at Mount Sinai Hospital in Brooklyn – Distinguished Medical Rofeh Award; and Michael Cohen, founder of the Mitzvah Man Foundation – Distinguished Chesed Award.
As with any complicated event, there are many moving parts. Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez had to leave the ceremony early and was replaced by New York City Councilman Chris Banks (D – East New York, Brooklyn). He presented the Distinguished Medical Rofeh Award to Rudolph.
Cohen, the recipient of the Distinguished Chesed Award, had to pass on personally accepting the honor due to the passing of his father-in-law. The funeral was on the same day as the COJO Breakfast and awards ceremony. Edmund Dweck, president of the Mitzvah Man Foundation, filled in for Cohen, accepting the award on his behalf.
U.S. Senator and Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D – Prospect Park, Brooklyn) was also a no-show. Schumer would constantly brag about being at all the annual breakfasts, but last year and now, for the second time, he avoided the event.
Larry Spiewak, chairman of the COJO board of directors, could not attend the breakfast due to family reasons. Spiewak, a stalwart at these events as well as being the chairman of the breakfast committee, wanted those who called him with concern to know he is doing just fine and is healthy, Baruch Hashem.
