Eric Adams: “My Relationship With The Frum Community”

By FrumNews.com

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has a background in the NYPD, focusing on safety, education, and health. He’s known for standing up for what he believes in. In the newly released wide-ranging interview by Yaakov Langer of Living L’Chaim podcast, they discussed the mayor’s upbringing, career, the attacks of Simchas Torah, antisemitism, and the Jewish community’s ties with NYC.

Simchas Torah and The Hostages

Speaking of the horrific Simchas Torah attacks, the mayor said, “We don’t want to see the people who committed the horrific act on October 7th go unpunished” and that “Hamas must be destroyed.”

“I’m not going to take history and tarnish it when I know that we need to release the hostages and that’s what I said when they were calling for a ceasefire. I was very clear let’s release the hostages. There are people held in captivity, and there [are] family members that don’t know if their loved ones are alive or not, let’s release it, let’s call for the destruction of Hamas let’s call for those other two components. People want to act like October 7 didn’t happen, but it did happen, and it was a a very painful and deadly moment for far too many innocent people.”

The Lubavitcher Rebbe’s Ohel

At the start of the interview, Yaakov Langer asked the mayor, “So often in the Jewish Community if someone has a question, they go to their Rabbi or Rebbe and I as I know that you, you definitely have met a lot of Rabbeim. who’s the person that you go to when you have a question? I mean, you’re the mayor of New York I’m sure a lot of people come to you [for guidance], but who do you look to for guidance?”

The Mayor replied, “I have some very good friends and some of them, some of the questions you get answers not from those who are still in the presence but who have been here, The Grand Rebbe in Crown Heights (referring to the Lubavitcher Rebbe), you know from the Lubavitch Community. I still go to his Ohel often and you know, get insight and get a peace of mind, I believe his energy is still among us.”

“But there are so many leaders that I have, you know, that are, you know, Rabbis and Rebbe’s from different communities that I sit down and speak with and some of our, you know just some of my good friends, friends who can give you a different perspective they don’t have to be a just a rabbi, they can be from a community that has gone through a lot and based on their teachings and learnings they can share some of that wisdom, and that’s what I’ve been blessed with.” The mayor added.

“My Favorite Mivtza”

The Mayor emphasized his longstanding familiarity with Boro Park Askun Rabbi Alexander Rapaport director of Masbia and its commendable efforts in providing food assistance, not only within the Jewish community but also extending support to others in need. He recounted a significant event where Masbia and Boro Park Shomrim stepped in to aid individuals affected by a fire on New Year’s Eve in East New York, demonstrating the organization’s dedication to serving the broader community.

Full Interview:

The interview was arranged by Mayor Adams’s senior advisor Yoily Eisdorfer and Frum NYPD Deputy Chief Richie Taylor.