PoliticsHolocaust Survivor's Granddaughter Slams Mayor Zohran Mamdani Over Rising NYC Antisemitism During Rosh Hashanah Store Visit
Stefanie Benshimol confronted Mayor Mamdani in Brooklyn.
Sept. 3 2026, Published 6:06 p.m. ET
A Zionist heckler shouted at New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani as he visited a Jewish store in Brooklyn.
Stephanie Benshimol, a self-described “Boss Momma American Israeli Zionist,” accused the city's mayor of ignoring rising antisemitism in the Big Apple as he visited Eichler's in Borough Park on September 2.
Benshimol Confronted Mamdani About Antisemitism in NYC
Benshimol confronted Mamdani via video and posted it to her Instagram account.
“Hey, it’s me, Stefanie Benshimol. You remember me? Remember last year when Trump freed the hostages?” she yelled at Mamdani. “It’s all because of you we have so much antisemitism.”
Benshimol evoked her grandfather, who survived the Holocaust, while berating the mayor.
“Shame on you for coming to Borough Park where my Bubbie came after the Holocaust! My Bubbie and Zaidy came to Borough Park! You have such chutzpah coming here! Shame on you!” she exclaimed.
Benshimol was ushered out of the store by staff as Mamdani did not respond to her protest.
Benshimol Criticized the Brooklyn Store
Benshimol confronted Mamdani aides on the streets of Brooklyn.
“Are you a kapo?" she yelled, using a word for a concentration camp prisoner forced by the SS to police others in the camps. "Are you supporting him? Do you support Israel? Do you support Israel? Do you?”
She then yelled at the store for hosting Mamdani.
“Shame on you Eichler’s, shame on you for allowing Zohran Mamdani to come to the heart of the Jewish neighborhood in Borough Park!" she yelled.
Benshimol also confronted Phylisa Wisdom, the executive director of the Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism, outside of the store. She posted footage of protests to her Instagram account.
Want OK! each day? Sign up here!
Mamdani Is Critical of Israel But Not Jews
Mamdani has condemned both antisemitism and Israel.
Mamdani has been accused of fostering antisemitism over his refusal to support Israel and its actions in Gaza. He has threatened to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which would enforce an arrest warrant for the prime minister put out by the International Criminal Court in 2024.
The 34-year-old mayor has insisted that there is "no room for antisemitism" in New York.
"I would say first and foremost there's no tolerance for antisemitism in this city. We have to root out antisemitism from across the five boroughs and that's because the city is one that has no room for hate or bigotry of any kind, and when we make criticisms of a nation state or policies, we have to remember those are criticisms of exactly that — never of a people, never of a faith," he said in July.
Antisemitism Is Up in NYC While Overall Crime Is Down
Crime is down overall in the city, though antisemitic hate crimes are up.
New York City has seen a rise in antisemitic hate crimes while overall crime is lower, per the NYPD. The Department said on September 3 that there have been 425 hate crimes in the city in 2026, and 53.9 percent are antisemitic.
However, burglaries, murders and shootings all decreased in the city. In August, there were 19 antisemitic crimes compared to August 2025, when there were 22.
