Editor’s Note: The following story is an edited version of the COLlive.com story given as a special to Kings County Politics. All photo credit: Baruch Ezagui/COLlives.
State Sen. Zellnor Myrie (D-Brownsville, Crown Heights, East Flatbush, Gowanus, Park Slope, Prospect Heights, Prospect Lefferts Gardens, South Slope, Sunset Park) this week called for unity among all the diverse cultures, religions and ethnicities he represents within his district.
Myrie’s comments came during a meet-and-greet with Crown Heights largely Lubavitch [Chabad] community at the home of Yaacov Behrman, founder of the Jewish Future Alliance. The event gave local residents the opportunity to meet with the Senator and express their concerns for the neighborhood.
The crowd of 50 guests enjoyed a selection of wine and a spread of artisanal kosher cheeses presented by The Cheese Guy, and conversed with Sen. Myrie about various topics, including recent real estate laws and how it may affect members of the community, the uptick in crime, and health care.
Myrie told COLlive his goal was to “help bridge what divides our community,” and noted that, “although some of the community members may disagree with me on various issues, I appreciate that we can have a civil conversation.”
“If you believe in 100 percent of what our leaders do, there’s something wrong,” he said.
Myrie related that he was born and raised in the Crown Heights neighborhood, and attended PS 161 on Crown Street. “Crown Heights has a special place in my heart, it is a community that has raised me,” he said.
Myrie praised what he said is “the unity of our district.”
“No other district in this state is as diverse as we are. There’s no other district that has put together so many cultures, that not only co-exist but thrive together,” said Myrie.
“We are living in very trying times. There’s a lot going on in this world, in this nation, and there’s a lot happening, unfortunately, right here in Brooklyn,” he said. “And we’ve seen, unprecedented in my lifetime, attacks on this community, an increase in gun violence in this community, and we have a responsibility… to stand up and bring unity – not division – but unity,” he added.
Myrie said his hopes were to come out of the meeting as an even stronger unified district despite some disagreements.
“So even if I don’t agree with you on an issue, we can have a civil conversation, and agree to disagree. And for the things that we are in agreement on, we fight full steam ahead for it. I work for you – you are my bosses,” he said.
The event was arranged by Yaacov Behrman, Mendy Margolin, Yankee Pearson and Mendy Weisz. Also in attendance was Pinny Ringel of Mayor De Blasio’s office.
