By COLlive reporter
Photos by Shimi Kutner/COLlive
New York State Senator Jesse Hamilton hosted a pre-Chanukah cocktail party for young Jewish professionals in the Crown Heights neighborhood, which is part of his constituency.
Wearing a customized iKippah on his head, Hamilton greeted a crowd of mostly young Jewish men and women to the celebration at the Brooklyn Artisan Bakehouse on East New York Avenue.
Participants mingled over tuna tartare, an assortment of cheeses, pastries and salads, which were prepared by the restaurant’s owner Levi Krinsky. Menachem Reich of Wine By The Case was on hand to chat about kosher wines.
Local Jewish activist Yaacov Behrman, one of the organizers, emceed the event and welcomed participants to Hamilton’s second Crown Heights Chanukah party. Hamilton insisted it “should become an annual party.”
Hamilton’s influential colleague at the State Senate, Jeffrey Klein, Senate Coalition Leader and Independent Democratic Conference Leader, was warmly welcomed by the event’s guests.
“Some people have been with me at different times, but Yaacov and the young people of Crown Heights have stood by me during the ups and downs,” Hamilton commented.
Guests enjoyed a live performance of the Kakande Ghanaian Band and singer Boruch Sholom Blesofsky.
Mendy Margolin, one of the organizers, opened the event with a prayer for the success and divine guidance for elected officials in their decisions and public service.
New York City Councilman David Greenfield was praised for the security initiative and the funds it provided to local institutions and schools. Greenfield said he was grateful for the community’s friendship.
Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams praised the involvement of young residents in community affairs and said “other communities should learn from Crown Heights.”
The event also featured remarks by a visiting U.S. marine who praised the Crown Heights community for its hospitality.
Those ikippahs looks great- I bought them for my family chanuka party!