By COLlive reporter
A slew of politicians and public officials attended the annual Legislative Breakfast of Agudath Israel of America Sunday at the Broad Street Ballroom on Wall Street in New York.
Surprisingly, or perhaps not, Chabad was mentioned more than a few times during the course of the event.
U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer, a likely candidate for the Speaker of the House, reminded his fellow democrat New York Assembly Speaker Shelly Silver of the days back in their youth when they would attend services at Chabad.
Representatives from Crown Heights in the crowd were seen shepping nachas.
They were Rabbi Shea Hecht, Chairman of NCFJE and co-chair of the Crown Heights PAC, his son Rabbi Chanoch Hecht – Shliach in Rhinebeck, NY and Eli Slavin, community liaison for Congresswoman Yvette Clarke.
The emcee and event chairperson Cheskal Bennett acknowledged their participation and thanked them for coming.
They, in return, complimented Agudah for their recent accomplishments in securing public funding for yeshivos and schools, amongst other legislative developments.
They also lauded Executive Vice President Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zweibel, who is one of the community activists rallying support for the Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin, the kosher meat executive who was harshly sentenced for 27 years on bank fraud charges.
Rabbi Zweibel made a point during his speech to thank Congressman Anthony Wiener for leading the congressional request for the inquiry into the Rubashkin trials by Attorney General Eric Holder.
In August, Rubashkin’s attorneys filed for a new trial after it was revealed that Judge Linda Reade may have had improper contact with federal prosecutors prior to presiding over his case.
Last month, Weiner sent a letter to Holder calling on him to investigate the “credible allegations of improprieties and unfairness” related to Rubashkin’s trial, as COLlive has reported.
Weiner, who is a member of the House Judiciary Committee, raised questions about the trial when no other government official was.
“Congressman Weiner was the first elected official to agree to try and persuade the Justice Department to correct the injustice of this case,” said Gedaliah Weinberger, Chairman of the Board of Agudath Israel.
“We have learned that when we need something done for the community in Congress, Anthony Weiner is our first and last stop.”
VIDEO: Schumer’s speech
Video by Shimon Gifter
is that on the left dudu fisher?
Looks like a really boring event. Reminds me of the joke abou the Yid who saves himself from being eaten by a lion by telling the lion there will be speeches after dinner.
How nice that he davened at chabad. Unfortunately , that has not translated into anything substantive when it has come to chabad interests. Unless he is very active behind the scenes, this politician – who is not shy about publicizing his accomplishments, has done very little for us. Rubashkin, the riots etc, he has been largely silent. Unfortunately, the only other choice is the crowd that brought us the disaster in Iraq, a huge deficit and presided over the economic meltdown. So Schumer it is- for the time being.
Thank you…
Hope to see you at the NCFJE 70th Gala Dinner.
His assistant Eli was there, but not the chair of the political subcommittee? What gives?
may hashem bless you
Schumer is slated for nothing. The Republicans are taking the Senate and Schumer won’t be majority leader. If for some reason the Republicans don’t take the Senate, we still don’t want Schumer as majority leader. He is nothing but a left winger and NY and the country would be served much better if Alfonse D’ amato was still the senator. Al D’amato also is more pro-Israel then UP Chuck Schumer.
go chabad of rheinbeck
Hopefully he will be minority leader and not the speaker.
Schumer is slated to be the next majority leader in the senate, not speaker of the house