BOROUGH PARK (VINnews) – The owner of the Borough Park Judaica store visited by Mayor Zohran Mamdani ahead of Rosh Hashanah issued a video clarification Thursday night following backlash over the mayor’s appearance and the events surrounding the visit.
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Hirsch Meir Traube, owner of 1800 Eichler’s on 13th Avenue, said the store did not invite Mamdani and that its employees were not involved in handing out gifts during the visit.
“We did not invite Mayor Mamdani,” Traube said. “None of our staff were involved in any of the gift giving. It was all from independent influencers.”
Traube also addressed reports that people were removed from the store during the mayor’s visit.
“We weren’t involved in kicking anyone out of the store,” he said.
The clarification came after video of Mamdani’s Wednesday visit circulated widely online. The mayor was seen meeting Jewish community leaders and learning about Rosh Hashanah, which begins next Friday.
Among those present were Avi Greenstein, CEO of the Borough Park Jewish Community Council; Rabbi Yaakov Landau; and Traube himself. Mamdani was also greeted by members of the community.
The mayor’s director of special projects, Uri Fraenkel, blew the shofar during the visit, while Mamdani was presented with honey, a traditional Rosh Hashanah symbol representing the hope for a sweet New Year.
Mamdani wished those present a “Shana Tovah,” the traditional Jewish greeting for the holiday.
The visit, however, was interrupted when a woman identifying herself as Jewish advocate Stephanie Benshimol confronted the mayor.
“Stop the antisemitism! You have all the power to stop the antisemitism. I’m begging you to do it,” Benshimol shouted.
She also accused Mamdani of focusing too heavily on Israel and said his positions were contributing to hostility toward Jews.
Menachem Gindi, an Eichler’s employee who was present during the visit, told CBS New York that the confrontation was uncomfortable but said he believed Benshimol had a point.
The mayor’s visit comes as New York City officials continue to grapple with rising antisemitism. The NYPD has said anti-Jewish hate crimes increased 8% year to date compared with the previous year and account for more than half of the city’s reported hate crimes.
Mamdani has faced criticism from Jewish organizations over his statements regarding Israel, including his description of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a “war criminal” in a video released in July.
Mamdani has said that while he criticizes the policies of a nation-state, those criticisms should not be directed at Jewish people or Judaism.
“When we make criticisms of a nation-state or policies, we have to remember that those are criticisms of exactly that — never of a people, never of a faith,” Mamdani told CBS New York following an earlier discussion about antisemitism.
The Borough Park visit was part of the mayor’s outreach to Jewish leaders ahead of the High Holidays. Mamdani also held a private meeting with rabbis in August to discuss antisemitism and the increase in antisemitic incidents.
His administration said it is committed to ensuring Jewish New Yorkers can “live openly, proudly and safely,” and has pledged increased investments in hate-crime prevention as well as an expanded mayor’s office focused on combating antisemitism.
The NYPD is also preparing for the High Holidays, with a citywide security briefing for Jewish community leaders scheduled for next week. Brooklyn South police leaders met with Jewish leaders Monday to discuss security preparations.
Traube ended his Thursday night clarification by reaffirming the store’s position.
“We do support Israel,” he said. “Am Yisroel Chai.”
It should also be noted that there are two separate Eichler’s Judaica stores in Brooklyn, which are frequently confused.
The store featured in the Mamdani video is 1800 Eichler’s, also known as 1-800 Eichler’s and formerly The New Eichler’s, at 5004 13th Avenue in Borough Park. The store is independently owned by Traube, who acquired it around 2024.
The other business is Eichler’s of Flatbush, at 1401 Coney Island Avenue. It remains under Eichler family ownership and has operated since 1977.
The two stores are separate businesses and should not be conflated in connection with Mamdani’s visit.
How can the Mamzerani’s goons throw someone out from a private property without consent of the property owner??!!! It is OBVIOUS that the BP Eichlers ownership/management was on the Mamzerani side. There’s also a video where Traube is ordering the peaceful protester to leave the store, while welcoming the Mamzerani team.
No used-car salesman video is going to let Traube wiggle his way out of this.
Therefore, we should BOYCOTT the BP Eichlers for allowing Mamzerani in and throwing this peaceful protester out.
Don’t give any business to BP Eichlers, until Traube loses his investment and learns a lifelong lesson: being a judenrat moiser has its costs, afilu beoilom haze. Hopefully, this boycott will teach the other judenrat wannabes as well.
MADCOMMIE doesn’t just Criticize Israel he’s on the side of the terrorists who slaughtered innocent Jews and continue to do so he’s on the side of Hamas. How dare he enter that Jewish store?
Great job VIN. All Mamdani does wrong is a little criticism of Israel. How about not believing that Hamas should disarm? And not condemning the phrase, globalize the intifada? And this is just the beginning. But keep telling people it’s just a little innocent criticism of Israel.
I would rather spend millions building yeshivot and day schools, millions than convincing people who dislike Jews to hate us less. RABBI DR. BERNHARD ROSENBERG
I emphasize the importance of Jewish political and communal organizations making a strong fight against antisemitism and antizionism. As a child of Holocaust survivors, I dedicated my life to fighting antisemitism, preserving holocaust memory, increasing Jewish education and fighting for Israel
We have organizations fighting antisemitism, conferences about antisemitism, committees studying antisemitism, webinars teaching us about antisemitism and politicians condemning antisemitism and antizionism. The police increase patrols in Jewish neighborhoods, statements are issued, everybody promises that hate has no home here, and we wait for the next incident.
And yet antisemitism seems to be flourishing around the world. I strongly believe antisemitism is in the mother’s milk.
I would rather spend millions building yeshivot and day schools, millions than convincing people who dislike Jews to hate us less.
Antisemitism Is Not Judaism
Antisemitism and antizionism allow our enemies to occupy far too much space in our Jewish lives.
Our Jewish life should not be organized around people who hate me.
I want our children and grandchildren to know why being Jewish is important and worth fighting for.
I care when Jewish students are threatened. I speak out when synagogues are attacked and urge that armed guards are available to guard our Jewish worshippers and especially our children and grandchildren who need security inside and outside their schools.
Antisemitism is not going away. We need to answer the following:
How do we get more Jews into synagogues? How do we make Jewish education affordable? How do we strengthen our connection to Israel? How do we build communities that young Jewish families actually want to join?
A How do we make sure our grandchildren remain Jewish?
We must to build a Jewish community strong enough to survive the people who hate us. RABBI DR. BERNHARD ROSENBERG
When a community leader visits a local business, it often sparks conversation. Clear communication from the business owner about the nature of the visit can help manage community expectations and perceptions. This incident shows the importance of transparency in such situations.