New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani visited Boro Park on Wednesday ahead of Rosh Hashanah, touring a prominent Judaica store and meeting with local community figures in one of the world’s largest Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods, even as his appearance drew a heated confrontation from a Jewish woman who accused the mayor of fueling antisemitism through his rhetoric and positions on Israel.
The visit, apparently Mamdani’s first to Boro Park as mayor, took place at Eichler’s Judaica, the longstanding Jewish bookstore and religious-goods retailer that has operated in the neighborhood for nearly four decades. Boro Park residents voted overwhelmingly against Mamdani in the mayoral election.
Video released by the mayor’s office showed Mamdani speaking with local leaders inside the store about issues including garbage collection and the curriculum in yeshivos. The mayor was also presented with a jar of honey in honor of the approaching Rosh Hashanah holiday.
Uri Fraenkel, director of special projects in the mayor’s office, demonstrated the blowing of a shofar for Mamdani and explained various elements of traditional Chassidic clothing.
Speaking briefly to members of the press who were invited to cover the visit, Mamdani offered New Year wishes to the Jewish community.
“It is so lovely to be here, especially before the High Holidays, and to wish everyone a shanah tovah, and I really just appreciate the welcome and the conversations,” Mamdani said.
WATCH: @NYCMayor shares a special message with @BoroPark24 followers during his visit to Boro Park today ahead of the upcoming month of Tishrei. pic.twitter.com/bLadzc5tVo
— Boro Park 24 News (@BoroPark24) September 2, 2026
The cordial scenes inside the store were interrupted when pro-Israel blogger Stephanie Ben Shimol confronted Mamdani and sharply criticized him over his record on Israel and antisemitism.
“Shame on you, you’re causing all the antisemitism,” she told the mayor.
Ben Shimol continued confronting Mamdani as she invoked her own family’s history, telling him that her grandmother had arrived in Boro Park after surviving the Holocaust.
“This is all because of you that we have so much antisemitism,” she shouted. “You cause antisemitism, you are not the ambassador of America. How dare you come to Boro Park, the place where my grandmother came after the Holocaust? You have such nerve coming here.”
Members of Mamdani’s entourage and security personnel attempted to move Ben Shimol away from the mayor, prompting her to insist that she had every right to remain inside the store.
“Don’t push me, I’m shopping here, I’m a customer. I’m not violent and I don’t have a weapon,” she said.
Ben Shimol then pleaded with Mamdani to use his position to combat antisemitism, while accusing him of harming Jews through his intense focus on Israel.
“Stop the antisemitism! You have all the power to stop antisemitism, I beg you as a granddaughter of Holocaust survivors. All you do is focus on Israel and bring harm to the Jewish people,” she said.
She also stressed the deep connection to Israel felt by many members of Boro Park’s Orthodox community.
“Everyone here, their heart is Israel. It is ours from the Torah, the nation of Israel lives and exists forever,” she said.
Ben Shimol also challenged Orthodox figures accompanying or hosting Mamdani, questioning why they had welcomed a mayor whose positions on Israel have generated deep opposition within large segments of the Jewish community.
“Do you support him? If you support Israel, then why is he here? All he wants is to arrest Bibi Netanyahu,” she said.
After Mamdani left the store, Ben Shimol continued criticizing those who had hosted him. Pointing toward a nearby building, she described her family’s connection to the neighborhood and said her grandmother had operated a wig store there after the Holocaust.
“You see that building up there? That’s where my grandmother had her wig store after the Holocaust in Boro Park, my grandmother Shaindel, right there, and this antisemite came in from there,” she said.
She concluded by denouncing the decision to welcome Mamdani into the store.
“Shame on you for allowing him to come into the heart of the Jewish neighborhood of Boro Park,” she said.
The confrontation came against the backdrop of a strained relationship between Mamdani and significant portions of New York’s Jewish community. Jewish communal and religious leaders have repeatedly criticized his rhetoric and positions regarding Israel, while Mamdani has also sought during his first year in office to develop relationships with various segments of the city’s Chassidic population.
Those efforts have included contacts with Satmar leaders in Williamsburg as well as a visit to the Jewish Children’s Museum in Crown Heights.
Mamdani has encountered protests from Jewish New Yorkers on other occasions as well. At a previous NYPD event, he was greeted with loud boos while attempting to address the gathering and ended his remarks in less than a minute.
Wednesday’s Boro Park visit nevertheless proceeded with meetings with local leaders and the symbolic pre-Rosh Hashanah presentation of honey. Before departing, Mamdani again expressed appreciation for his reception in the neighborhood.
“It’s so great to be here before the holidays to wish everyone a happy new year, and I appreciate the welcome and the dialogue.”
