While it remains to be set in stone, Borough Park resident Heshy Tischler confirmed that he has joined the race for current term-limited City Councilman Chaim Deutsch’s 48th district seat with the intent of running his campaign as “a street-man”.
In 2017, Tischler lost the 44th city council race to City Councilman Kalman Yeger (D-Borough Park, Bensonhurst, Flatbush). While he currently resides in Borough Park, Tischler noted that he has property in Sheepside Bay- which along with Manhattan Beach, Brighton Beach, Homecrest and Midwood is part of the 48th district in which he’s fighting to represent.
“If you watch the politicians, they scratch their behinds and they pick their noses. Wait till I get on that channel, you’re going to see it’s number one in town. You’re going to really see things getting done,” Tischler said.
Tischler explained that his years of hands-on community work has given him an understanding to take on matters that affect his neighbors. While he traversed the spectrum of what he plans to take on if elected like narrowing traffic violations, consolidating government agencies and raising awareness on postpartum depression, Tischler placed a big emphasis on tackling issues that affect the youth.
“We have one youth center in Borough Park and one in Flatbush. One youth center for 200,000 people?” He said.
Adding that this fight includes expanding youth centers all over the 48th district, Tischler noted that he also wants to crack down on allowing marijuana to be sold in stores, a substance he sees as a gateway drug for young adults.
Tischler, a life-long resident of Borough Park, was brought to the public eye in recent months when he joined Orthodox Jewish lawmakers including State Sen. Simcha Felder, Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein, and Yeger to snip the locks of various playgrounds throughout the orthodox neighborhoods of Brooklyn that were shuttered as part of the Coronavirus pandemic.
He made more headlines after being arrested and charged with inciting a riot against respected Orthodox Jewish Journalist Jacob Kornbluh on October 7 during the two-day protest frenzy in Borough Park in which the community was attempting to vocalize the discontent they felt with reinstated restrictions Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on Oct. 6.
Tischler is running as a Democrat but has some anti-progressive items on his agenda. According to Tischler, his community lost out big time when the plans Amazon had to build a corporate campus in Queens was canceled in 2019 upon receiving backlash from progressive lawmakers and activists.
“This whole borough lost 10,000 jobs of private industry that was going to work with Amazon plus all the new housing that we had to house all these people. I mean, you’re talking billions of dollars of revenue,” Tischler stated. “ I’m going to go on my hands and knees and beg Amazon to come back.”
His female opponents for the race, Amber Adler and a non-confirmed Sarah Deutsch– wife of city councilman Chaim Duetsch – do not concern him.
“She’s not done anything for the community in four years,” Tischler said of Adler and Deutsch was “just a secretary”.
Adler, who is making the fight for the youth as well with a focus on education, has held leadership roles at nonprofits that have helped children with autism secure vital services and resources as well as helping to combat antisemitism via educational experiences and curriculum for use in public schools.
“I’ve been helping the community for over a decade- distributing masks and thousands of meals since just the pandemic alone.” Adler said. “If he doesn’t know what I’ve been doing then that means he’s out of the loop.”
Also running for the 48th district seat is Democrat Boris Noble.
