Menashe Shapiro, Deputy Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor to the Mayor: Good evening again and welcome back to the People’s House, to Gracie Mansion, where the 110th mayor of New York City, Eric Adams, demonstrates his unique devotion to the cultural mosaic that is New York City by welcoming each and every group of people that inhabit our great city.
Tonight we have a packed program, and I first want to thank our sponsors for this evening. First, the UJA Federation of New York, led by CEO Eric Goldstein, and Hindy Poupko Galena. [I] want to thank the Jewish Community Relations Council in New York, JCRC, and its new CEO, the great Mark Trieger, and the ADL, represented here this evening by its New York Regional Director, Scott Richman.
To lead off our program this evening, we have somebody who, while he may be new in his position, is somebody who is not new to anybody in this room. Since he took his position back in the spring, he has literally visited, I’ve seen it, every corner of this city, introducing himself to every Jew in New York, building the bridges as Israel’s new consul general to our great city. I’d like to call to the stage the Honorable Ofir Akunis. Thank you.
Consul General Ofir Akunis, Consulate General of Israel in New York: A lot of people, yeah. Shalom le’kulam good evening. Chanukah Sameach. First of all, I’d like to, especially, to extend my thanks to you, he’s there, by the way, Mayor Adams. Not just for hosting this beautiful event, but for standing with Israel and standing with American Jews for the past 14 difficult months.
Mayor Adams, in your last speech that I heard here at Gracie Mansion, you stated an obvious truth. Listen to this, I quote. Mayor Adams said, “Across America, antisemitic and anti-Israel protesters are a small minority. They make a lot of noise, but in truth, America stands with Israel.” That’s right. Of course, Mayor Adams, you are correct. We all appreciate his broad support, deeply, along with your moral clarity and vision to recognize it.
Now, my friends, I call on everyone to raise your voices, just like Mayor Adams, and loudly defend the truth. Indeed, courage, optimism, and morality are the story of Chanukah. Some 2,000 years ago, Greek armies occupied and oppressed Israel. In response, Jewish communities rose up, exploited invaders, and renewed their traditional ways of life. Well, my friends, the lights of the menorah is the proof then and now, and for 2,000 years, this is what we have celebrated. Not just hope and joy, but something concrete, the defense and return of Jewish role in our holy land.
Sadly, threats against Jewish people, places, and history are nothing new. But the lesson of Chanukah is eternal. Indeed, it is the same lesson of October 7th, when Hamas terrorists invaded Israel, massacred our people, took civilian hostages, and started, actually, they started a regional war. That’s what happened on October 7th. Israel never asked for this fight. Israel desperately seeks peace. And my friends, because Chanukah is a holiday of lights and hope, I can say to you that, at this moment, listen carefully, at this moment, we are closer than ever to a hostage deal.
Israel will always defend itself with strength, with unity, and with results. Thankfully, truth and justice, remember, always win, and the light always prevail the darkness. Chag Chanukah Sameach, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year. Le’kulam. Todah rabah. Thank you so much. Thank you.
Shapiro: I just wanna acknowledge, walking up to the stage, our colleagues in the Mayor’s Office, who we are in the trenches with daily, working on behalf of all New Yorkers, but especially the Jewish community. I wanna first acknowledge the deputy mayor for Communications, Fabien Levy. Commissioner for Mayor’s Office of International Affairs, Ed Mermelstein. Commissioner for the Mayor’s Community Affairs Unit, who builds bridges to every single community, Fred Kreizman. The Director of Special Projects for the Mayor’s Community Affairs Unit, Uri Fraenkel. And the official liaison of the Jewish community, Moshe Davis, who also put together this evening for us.
[Crosstalk.]
Yeah, this is part of the drill. There are those who have the, some in this room might have the tradition on Friday night after you sing Shalom Aleichem to offer a very short prayer of thanks to God. The Jewish attribute of HaKarat HaTov, giving thanks, is not just thanking somebody for what has been done, but we thank God for what is about to be done. And while curious of a concept, I think that nothing is more apropos when you describe the NYPD, our first responders, and those who come to protect us.
The mayor’s always reminding us that when it comes to our first responders, they’re the ones who run towards danger, not away from it. That precept of answering the call more than our new police commissioner, Jessica Tisch. And, you know, when I first learned that [Jessica] was gonna become police commissioner, I didn’t just say thanks to the mayor for his foresight, I offered my thanks to [Jessica] for everything I knew she was going to be doing to bring the police force into the 21st century and to protect all of our communities. Without further ado, the 48th police commissioner and first Jewish female police commissioner to the City of New York, Your honorable Jessica Tisch.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch: Thank you for joining us. It is my honor to be here with you at Gracie Mansion as we gather to preemptively celebrate Chanukah. This is a season of hope, resilience, and renewal, values that resonate even more deeply this year. Chanukah is the story of Jews under attack, when our religion was outlawed and our traditions banned. The temple was shut, but our people were not defeated. Soon, the temple was liberated, rededicated, and then, as now, Am Yisrael Chai, the people of Israel live. It’s a powerful message and a lesson we’re learning again today.
We cannot gather without acknowledging the immense pain we’ve carried since October 7th of last year, and the hate spewed at so many in our Jewish communities here in New York and around the world. Chanukah is the festival of lights, and in times of darkness, leadership matters. In those moments, people need strength, compassion, and unwavering support, and in the faithful spirit of Chanukah, Mayor Adams has been a light for our community.
He has stood with us, shoulder to shoulder, sending a clear message that hate will never find a home in our city. Through it all, he has shown both moral clarity and the courage that defines this holiday. Mr. Mayor, your commitment to the safety and the well-being of all New Yorkers has never wavered, and for that, we are deeply grateful. Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in welcoming a true friend of the Jewish community, a remarkable leader, the 110th mayor of the City of New York, the Honorable Eric Adams.
Mayor Eric Adams: Thank you so much, Commissioner Tisch, and really thank all of you. You know, when you start to reflect and think about it, during 164 BCE, when this entire narrative came about in the start of Chanukah, you think about the Maccabees, who were strong enough to stand up and to fight for what is right and to reclaim what was deserving to be in the right hands. We have to ask ourselves, where are the Maccabees today? Where are they? Who’s willing to stand up and fight for what is right? And the symbol of the Maccabees is not only those of the Jewish faith, but it’s also those who the Jewish people have helped throughout the years.
If you were to do an analysis of your community and the history of your community, you will find that every place someone was being unfairly treated and persecuted, you saw Jewish organizations standing by, helping any way they can. Look at Haiti. When the hurricane hit Haiti, Israel was one of the first countries that went there to give assistance. If you look to the right and the left of Dr. King during the marches of the civil rights era, you saw young Jewish students who were there willing to stand up and fight for what was right.
You have a history in your own culture. You name what it is to give back and what it is to contribute. And here in New York City, where you have the largest Jewish population outside of Israel, there is no more significant place for you to understand that your safety is in the hands of a police commissioner that understands what it is to have a city that will fight against hate in general, but specifically antisemitism that is rising across the entire country.
But as we acknowledge the celebration of Chanukah, also acknowledge your contribution to other groups. Also acknowledge what you have done to assist all groups in this city and country. And as we watch day by day, the radicalization of our young people, we must push back and not take the posture that hopefully this would just go away. That is not true.
When I walk through the streets of Krakow and visit the camps in Krakow, Poland, there were those that stated it would just pass by and go away. When I saw in Rome the Jewish ghetto when Jews had to be back in the ghetto before nightfall, there were those who said it would just go away. When I saw Columbus leaving Spain and being told that Jews must be out of the country by the evening time, they were those who say it might go away. Let this generation be the generation where we don’t sit back and idly hope for it to go away, that we stand up and say it’s not going to exist in the first place. Let us lead the way. Let us stand tall and unite with other groups to say hate has no place in our city and in our country and on the entire globe. I’m going to do my part. And I know you’re going to do your part. It doesn’t matter if it’s in the Police Department or if it’s in the Fire Department where we were just joined by Fire Commissioner Tucker. It doesn’t matter on what block and what neighborhood. We’re committed to this fight.
We’re committed to rid our city of any form of hate, anti-Semitism, hate against Sikhs, hate against African-American Islamophobia, hate against any other group. We will stand tall together. I want to be extremely clear on this Chanukah, Eric Leroy Adams is a modern day Maccabees. Thank you very much.
Moshe Davis, Jewish Liaison, Community Affairs Unit: And now everyone, I would like to introduce our honorees of tonight. We have amazing individuals and organizations that have done so much for New York and really shine a light in New York City.
So now for the first group, I would like to bring up a group of young leaders, students from campuses across the city who have amplified their Jewish pride. They have inspired their peers. And they have been a beacon of light in an environment that’s quite so hostile. So thank you. Tali Dardashtian from NYU, representing Jewish on Campus. Danielle Babaev from Queens College, representing Queens Hillel. Maya Gavriel from Baruch, representing Hillel, and a Stand With Us fellow. And Noam Waldenberg from Columbia, representing Chabad on campus. Guys, show them what Gen Z got. We got this.
And now for our next honoree, I’d like to call up the one and only Lizzy Savetsky. Lizzy is a trailblazer in social media and activism. She uses her platform to empower Jewish people to take pride in their identity, stand strong in the face of adversity, and embrace Judaism in all its forms. Thank you, Lizzy, for everything you have done and being a light for New York City. Thank you.
And now for our next honoree, we have Achiezer, represented by the tireless leader, Rabbi Baruch Ber Bender. Achiezer supports families in their most difficult moments, from illness to financial crises, with care and compassion. Rabbi Bender is the man you call at any time at any hour. Achiezer Bender epitomized Hassad and set an example for all New York City.
For our next group, I’m gonna call up Achim B’Yachad. Achim B’Yachad serves the community, providing emotional support for children and families experiencing serious illness. In hospitals or at homes, their volunteers offer hope and strength. Hershey, please come to the stage. Thank you to Meijer and to all the volunteers and the children who have joined us tonight. Thank you.
And now for the final honoree of tonight, Chazaq, represented by the dynamic, Rabbi Yaniv Meirov. Chazaq has dedicated itself to building a stronger Jewish future with community development and education. They’re strengthening Jewish identity. They have been a guiding light for countless individuals and families. Thank you, Yaniv. Thank you. Eight lights, eight nights. Thank you all for the amazing work you’ve done. Thank you for everyone who’s joining here. Thank you.
December 17, 2024 Sources: NYC City Hall ,
Midtown Tribune , Big New Yrok news BigNY.com