The Flatbush Jewish Community Coalition (FJCC), under the leadership of Josh Mehlman, hosted a pre-Pesach meeting Thursday afternoon, bringing together key community leaders and representatives from emergency and volunteer organizations including Hatzolah, Shomrim, Chaverim, Chesed of Flatbush, Misaskim and Chesed Shel Emes The meeting was attended by newly appointed NYPD Brooklyn South Chief Francis Giordano, Community Affairs Chief Richie Taylor, Fred Kreizman from the Mayor’s Community Affairs Unit, Jacob Eisdorfer of the Brooklyn Borough President’s Office, as well as commanders from all local precincts.

Ten elected officials who once demanded Andrew Cuomo’s resignation from the governorship over harassment allegations are now endorsing his political comeback. The reversal includes several female lawmakers, sparking criticism from advocates who say the move undermines the Me Too movement and the fight against workplace harassment in government. “Electeds’ support for Cuomo is a slap-in-the-face betrayal to government workers everywhere, including their own staff,” said Erica Vladimer, founder of the Harassment Working Group.

New York State Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein introduced legislation at the State Legislature that would amend a discriminatory NYC Department of Sanitation regulation that unfairly penalizes New York City’s Jewish community. Last year, the NYC Department of Sanitation enacted a rule requiring residents to place their trash on the curb after 8:00 PM in an effort to combat the city’s rat problem. However, this rigid policy ignores the needs of religious New Yorkers who are prohibited from handling trash on Shabbos. As a result, many residents have been subjected to steep fines of $50-$300 simply for observing their faith. “This policy is unacceptable and must come to end,” declared Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein.

In preparation for the upcoming Pesach holiday, COJO of Staten Island held a security and community coordination meeting with leadership from the NYPD, FDNY, Staten Island Shomrim, Hatzolah, the Department of Sanitation, and the NYC Mayor’s Office, focusing on the safety and logistical needs of the Jewish community. NYPD Assistant Chief Melissa Eger of Patrol Borough Staten Island assured community leaders that there is currently no credible threat. The NYPD is actively monitoring developments on both a national and global scale and stands ready to respond as needed. Chief Eger also acknowledged the ongoing leadership and communication efforts of COJO Security Chairman Ari Weiss, with whom she remains in constant contact.

Hundreds of community members, elected officials, and faith leaders gathered outside 1304 President Street in Crown Heights to unveil a new street sign honoring the Lubavitcher Rebbe. The block where the Lubavitcher Rebbe and his wife, Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka, lived for decades, will now also bear the name Lubavitcher Rebbe Way. The co-naming was spearheaded by Yaacov Behrman, a Crown Heights community leader and Director of the Jewish Future Alliance, who led a campaign to honor the Rebbe in a public way. The effort culminated in Sunday’s unveiling ceremony, hosted by City Council Member Crystal Hudson, who sponsored the renaming legislation. “This street was home to the Rebbe and Rebbetzin, but his teachings and influence traveled far beyond,” said Behrman.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams declared during a podcast appearance this week that he believes the “deep state” is not Trump conspiracy theory but a reality in American government. Speaking with comedian Andrew Schulz on the Flagrant podcast Wednesday, Adams said, “I don’t want to sound [like a] conspiracy theorist, but there’s a permanent government. There are people that see presidents and mayors come and go. Their attitude is, ‘We’ll wait you out.’” Adams, who earlier this week announced he would leave the Democratic Party and run for re-election as an independent, also praised Government Gangsters, a controversial 2023 book by former Trump administration official Kash Patel.

Newly released NYPD data reveals that antisemitic hate crimes once again topped the list of bias-motivated attacks in the city, with Jewish New Yorkers targeted in 39 separate incidents last month — more than all other hate crimes combined. The total number of reported hate crimes in March was 67. Antisemitic acts alone made up 58% of that figure, continuing a disturbing trend that has played out month after month across the five boroughs. The data underscores what Jewish leaders and security officials have long warned: New York City’s Jewish community is facing an unprecedented wave of hatred and harassment. In the first three months of 2025, there have been 85 reported antisemitic crimes — nearly one incident every 26 hours.

The IDF and Shin Bet have successfully eliminated Mohammed Hassan Mohammed Awad, a senior military commander in the Palestinian Mujahideen terrorist organization. He is believed to have personally overseen the abductions of Shiri Bibas and her two young sons, Ariel and Kfir, and was most likely involved in their horrific murders. Mohammed Awad played a central role in the brutal October 7th massacre, infiltrating the Israeli community of Nir Oz multiple times during the attack. Additionally, Awad was responsible for the abduction and burial of Gad and Judi Lynn Weinstein, as well as the kidnapping of several Thai citizens during the same assault.

A Brooklyn woman who described herself as “haunted inside” was arraigned Thursday from her hospital bed on manslaughter charges following the high-speed crash that left a Jewish mother and two young daughters dead — and a young boy fighting for his life. Miriam Yarimi, 32, a wigmaker with a troubling history and a social media trail riddled with paranoia, was behind the wheel of a 2023 Audi A3 when she barreled through a red light on Ocean Parkway at more than double the speed limit. Her car slammed into a Toyota Camry Uber, flipped, and struck the Saada family as they crossed the street — killing Natasha Saada, 35, and her daughters Diana, 8, and Debra, 5 A”H. Their 4-year-old son, Philip, remains hospitalized in critical condition after losing a kidney.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s common-sense proposal to increase penalties for masked agitators who harass or threaten violence is facing a surprising roadblock in the state Senate, where lawmakers are balking—out of what sources describe as “heightened concern” for student demonstrators, even as threats against Jewish communities continue to rise. The governor’s measure, which would target individuals who purposely conceal their faces while engaging in menacing behavior, was introduced during closed-door budget negotiations in a bid to finally take action on an issue long demanded by Jewish leaders, civil rights groups, and public safety advocates.