New York Mayor Confronted Over Antisemitism Surge in Brooklyn

New York City Mayor Eric Adams faced a hostile reception during a visit to a Jewish bookstore in the Borough Park neighborhood of Brooklyn on Wednesday, September 2nd. Stephanie Benshimol, an American-Israeli activist and granddaughter of Holocaust survivors, confronted the mayor inside the Eichler's Judaica store, accusing him of presiding over a surge in antisemitism in the city.

Benshimol, who identified herself as an "American-Israeli Zionist" and leader of the United Zionists organization, recorded the encounter on her phone. She directly addressed Adams, stating, "You are causing all this antisemitism. I can't believe you're in a Jewish store before Rosh Hashanah. Shame on you for coming here!" She emphasized that she was in Borough Park, the heart of the Orthodox Jewish community, a place her grandparents fled to after the Holocaust.

As the confrontation escalated, store employees attempted to escort Benshimol out. During this, she referred to one employee as a "kapo," a term for Jewish prisoners forced to oversee others in Nazi concentration camps, and questioned their support for Israel. She then turned her criticism to the store owners, accusing them of fawning over someone she called a "hater of the Jewish people."

Mamdaani did not respond to Benshimol's accusations, and witnesses confirmed she was removed from the store during his visit. The incident occurred shortly before the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah.

Separately, American journalist and lawyer Debbie Schlussel praised Benshimol as a "heroine" for confronting the mayor, whom she referred to as "Mamzerdani," and criticized Jewish individuals she deemed "self-hating" and "anti-Israel" for supporting him. Official NYPD statistics show a 9.4% increase in hate crimes citywide during the first seven months of 2026 compared to the same period last year, with 360 incidents. Crimes targeting Jews rose by 8.5% to 205 incidents, accounting for 56.9% of all confirmed hate crimes despite Jews making up about 10% of New York's population.