General, Senator Dine Kosher

By Aryeh Levin, COLlive reporter

President Barack Obama is in New York today, and will be enjoying shrimp with donors at the St. Regis hotel in Manhattan – and staying clear of Brooklyn.

Two other government officials, however, did go kosher this week, even while on a short visit to Crown Heights.

At around midnight Wednesday, NY State Senator Eric Adams reserved a table at Basil Pizza and Wine Bar on Kingston Avenue, and was warmly greeted by owner Danny Branover.

He dined with Chanina Sperlin, Vice President of the Crown Heights Jewish Community Council, and Eli Slavin, liaison for Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, and others.

Marveling at the gourmet dessert prepared in-house, Adams remarked, “I think this is going to be my favorite kosher dairy place.”

Another high profile visitor who was in New York Thursday was Chief Chaplain (Major General) Douglas Carver, United States Army Chief of Chaplains. He came with William Horton, Executive Officer at the Chief Chaplain’s office.

The Chief Chaplain joined Colonel Jacob Goldstein for a visit to Ground Zero, where Goldstein described the army’s operation on 9/11 during the disaster.

“He often asks me about my neighborhood, so since he was in New York for a visit, I offered him to come see Crown Heights as well, ” said Goldstein.

At Lubavitch headquarters – 770 Eastern Parkway, the Chief Chaplain met with Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky and his aides Rabbi Avraham Berkowitz and Rabbi Mendel Sharfstein.

“He was familiar with the terror attack on Chabad of Mumbai last year, and as a military man related to the concept of shlichus – about uprooting your life to another country and culture, and working towards a greater good,” said Goldstein.

For lunch, the group stopped in at Esther’s Deli on Albany Avenue. After meeting owner Levi Feigenson, the Chief Chaplain commented, “We need a guy like this in DC.”