By COLlive reporter
Mayor Eric Adams delivered an emotional and forceful message of solidarity with the Jewish community at a Chanukah party and Menorah lighting in Manhattan, his final one while in office as Mayor of New York City.
After a beautiful musical performance by Cantor Yudi Cohen, the Mayor joined the large crowd at the festive event at the New York County Surrogate’s Courthouse in downtown NYC.
The Mayor used the event to address rising antisemitism and calling on New Yorkers of all backgrounds to stand together against hatred.
Stepping off the stage area and speaking directly to the crowd, Adams emphasized that he came not as a distant official, but as a partner sharing the community’s pain.
“I wanted to come down among you, because all of these ropes keep us away from each other,” Adams said. “I want you to know that I’m on your level. Your pain, I feel your pain.”
The mayor highlighted members of his administration working to combat antisemitism, including Deputy Mayor Fabian Levy, whom Adams described as his highest ranking Jewish appointee, along with Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch and other senior officials.
“You should know that you are not alone,” Adams said, noting the long standing relationships between his team and the Jewish community. “There are people in this city who feel your pain and understand what you’re going through.”
Adams shared that he had been standing backstage with his dear friend Devorah Halberstam, who lost her son Ari Halberstam in a terror attack on the Brooklyn Bridge in 1994. He said that when he visits the Rebbe‘s Ohel gravesite in Queens, he stops at Ari Halberstam’s gravesite as well.
“People think when the bullet leaves the barrel and hits the body, the pain ends,” he said. “The physical pain is equal to the emotional trauma that rips apart the anatomy of a community, particularly the Jewish community.”
Addressing attempts to reframe antisemitism under political language, Adams spoke bluntly.
“This is not about a piece of property in the Middle East. This is not about Israel,” he said. “This is about Jewish people. They can sugarcoat it, they can use euphemisms, but someone has to be honest.”
He continued by placing current events in historical context.
“It wasn’t Israel when Jews were locked into quarters in Rome. It wasn’t Israel when Jews were expelled from Spain. It wasn’t Israel during the Holocaust,” Adams said. “Let’s not allow people to pretend this is just about a location on a map. This is about how comfortable people have become with hating Jews across the globe.”
Calling on allies to speak up, Adams challenged the silence of those who previously stood with the Jewish community.
“You have been there for every group,” he said. “So now ask your friends, where are they now? You cannot be neutral. You cannot be a spectator while this hate spreads.”
The mayor urged Jews not to live in fear or hide their identity.
“Do not stop outside your synagogue and decide if you’re going in,” Adams said. “Do not take off your yarmulke in the subway. Do not hide your Star of David. If we live in fear, they win.”
Invoking the spirit of Chanukah, Adams called on the crowd to embody the courage of the Maccabees.
“Where are the Maccabees today?” he asked. “Who is willing to stand up and fight against darkness? I am a Maccabee, and I want the rest of the Maccabees to stand up and fight for what is right.”
As his remarks concluded, Adams reaffirmed his ongoing commitment.
“I’m going nowhere,” he declared. “This work doesn’t end with an administration. It continues with all of us, together.”
Following the speech, the mayor joined community leaders in lighting a special menorah adorned with ribbons representing hostages still held captive, alongside white ribbons symbolizing families who have been reunited. The Menorah was lit by the Mayor joined by Rabbi Chanina Sperlin, Crown Heights activist and NYC Chaplain OEM.
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thankfully Ritchie taylor was there, without him things would be dangerous
it is STILL VERY DANGEROUS!!!!!!!