By COLlive reporter
Photos: Baruch Ezagui/COLlive
An event was held Wednesday night in Crown Heights with the NY State Senator Zellnor Myrie (D).
Hosted at the home of Yaacov Behrman, founder of the Jewish Future Alliance, the meet and greet gave local residents the opportunity to meet with the Senator and express their concerns for the neighborhood.
The crowd of 50 guests enjoyed a selection of wine and a spread of artisanal kosher cheeses presented by The Cheese Guy, and conversed with Senator Myrie about various topics, including recent real estate laws and how it may affect members of the community, the uptick in crime, and health care.
Senator Myrie, who told COLlive his goal is to “help bridge what divides our community,” noted that, “although some of the community members may disagree with me on various issues, I appreciate that we can have a civil conversation.”
“If you believe in 100 percent of what our leaders do, there’s something wrong,” he quipped.
The event began with a prayer by Rabbi Mendy Margolin, following which the Senator addressed participants.
Myrie related that he was born and raised in the Crown Heights neighborhood, and attended PS 161 on Crown Street. “Crown Heights has a special place in my heart, it is a community that has raised me,” he said.
Myrie praised what he said is “the unity of our district.”
“No other district in this state is as diverse as we are,” he said. “There’s no other district that has put together so many cultures, that not only co-exist but thrive together.”
“We are living in very trying times,” Senator Myrie said. “There’s a lot going on in this world, in this nation, and there’s a lot happening, unfortunately, right here in Brooklyn,” he said. “And we’ve seen, unprecedented in my lifetime, attacks on this community, an increase in gun violence in this community, and we have a responsibility… to stand up and bring unity – not division – but unity.”
“I hope that what comes out of tonight, is that even in disagreement, we are still unified as a district,” the Senator said. “So even if I don’t agree with you on an issue, we can have a civil conversation, and agree to disagree. And for the things that we are in agreement on, we fight full steam ahead for it. I work for you – you are my bosses,” he said.
The event was arranged by Yaacov Behrman, Mendy Margolin, Yankee Pearson and Mendy Weisz. Also in attendance was Pinny Ringel of Mayor De Blasio’s office.
VIDEO: Remarks by Senator Myrie
Important work.
Loved seeing all the pictures of your parents!! Miss them dearly DD