Granddaughter of Holocaust Survivors Confronts Mayor Mamdani Over Antisemitism During Bronx Store Visit: "Stop the Antisemitism! I'm Begging You!"

The granddaughter of Holocaust survivors passionately confronted New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani during his visit to a Borough Park Judaica shop, accusing him of fueling a sharp rise in antisemitism. The emotional outburst, captured on video and widely shared, has deepened the divide between the mayor and the city's Jewish community as hate crimes continue to surge.

NEW YORK – A routine pre-High Holiday visit to a Jewish-owned store turned into a dramatic confrontation on Wednesday when a pro-Israel activist, identifying herself as the granddaughter of Holocaust survivors, publicly berated Mayor Zohran Mamdani over the escalating crisis of antisemitism in the city .

The incident occurred at Eichler's Judaica, a landmark store in the heart of Borough Park, Brooklyn, a neighborhood with a large Orthodox Jewish population. Mayor Mamdani, who has faced intense scrutiny from Jewish leaders over his previous anti-Israel activism and staff appointments , was touring the shop to greet customers ahead of Rosh Hashanah .

A Heated Exchange

As the mayor spoke with community leaders, Stephanie Benshimol, a New York resident, began shouting at him, demanding he take action to curb the rising tide of Jew-hatred .

"Remember last year when Trump freed the hostages? It's all because of you we have so much antisemitism," she yelled, filming the encounter . "Shame on you for coming to Borough Park where my Bubbie came after the Holocaust!" she roared, using the Yiddish word for grandmother .

"My Bubbie and Zaidy came to Borough Park! You have such chutzpah coming here! Shame on you!" she continued .

When store staff attempted to escort her out, she called one of the workers a "kapo" — a deeply offensive term for Jews who collaborated with the Nazis during the Holocaust .

Her vitriol then turned toward the store owners, whom she accused of wanting to "kiss ass to the hater of all Jewish people!" .

City Hall's Response

Mayor Mamdani's office defended the visit, stating he received a "warm welcome" from Borough Park residents and local leaders . Spokesman Sam Raskin said the mayor was "proud to visit Borough Park ahead of the High Holidays" and that the administration is "committed to ensuring Jewish New Yorkers can live openly, proudly and safely in every neighborhood of our city" .

Raskin also addressed the heckler, suggesting her presence was premeditated. "She was not a shopper who was passing by," he told JNS. "She came directly to the shop" .

The mayor himself later posted on social media, describing the visit positively: "The month of Elul invites us to pause, look inward and set our intentions for the year ahead. I was grateful to spend time with residents preparing to carry forward traditions passed down through generations" .

"An Embarrassment and Disservice"

The visit drew sharp condemnation from Jewish leaders and politicians who see the mayor as complicit in the normalization of antisemitism.

City Councilwoman Inna Vernikov (R-Brooklyn), who represents the area, called the visit an "embarrassment and disservice to the majority of Jewish New Yorkers who did not vote for him, including roughly 85% of Borough Park" . She argued that allowing the mayor to be treated as an honored guest in a Jewish space "tells Jews to lower their guard and tells everyone else that our concerns are overblown. They are not" .

Vernikov added that the mayor's visit came as antisemitic hate crimes in the city have spiked. According to NYPD data released last month, hate crimes are up 9.4% citywide, with 56.9% of those attacks targeting Jews, despite Jewish people making up just 10% of New York City's population . In August alone, 42% of confirmed hate crimes were anti-Jewish .

A History of Controversy

Mayor Mamdani's relationship with the Jewish community has been strained since before he took office. He got his start in pro-Palestinian activism and has continued to surround himself with controversial figures .

In March 2026, he hosted Mahmoud Khalil, a prominent leader of Columbia University's anti-Israel encampment protests, at Gracie Mansion for an Iftar dinner . Khalil has called for the "collapse" of the "Zionist genocidal project" and has been battling deportation by the Trump administration . That dinner sparked widespread outrage, with the Republican Jewish Coalition calling it "disgraceful" and Terrell, who runs the U.S. Justice Department task force on Jew-hatred, calling Khalil a "Jew-hater" .

Compounding the issue, Mamdani's father, Mahmood Mamdani, a professor at Columbia, recently compared the university's antisemitism task force to British colonial "divide and rule" tactics — a statement that drew swift condemnation from Jewish students and faculty .

The Bottom Line

While the mayor's office insists he is committed to combating antisemitism — citing an 800% increase in hate-crime prevention investments and the upcoming release of the nation's "first-ever municipal plan to root out antisemitism"  — many Jewish New Yorkers remain skeptical.

"By welcoming Mamdani into a Jewish space as if he were safe, we tell Jews to lower their guard," Vernikov warned . "They are not."

This is a developing story. The mayor's office has not responded to requests for additional comment on the confrontation.