What began as a routine pre-Rosh Hashanah shopping trip in Borough Park unexpectedly turned into an international viral moment for Stephanie Benshimol, a Jewish and pro-Israel activist and granddaughter of Holocaust survivors, who found herself standing face-to-face with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Benshimol had gone to Borough Park to prepare for the Jewish High Holidays, but the neighborhood was more than simply a place to shop. It was deeply connected to her family's history. Her grandmother, “Bubbie,” came to Borough Park after surviving the Holocaust and later established a business in the community.
While there, Benshimol learned that Mamdani would be visiting Borough Park and soon found herself in the middle of the mayor's visit to Eichler's, the well-known Judaica store in the heart of the heavily Jewish neighborhood.
For some present, Mamdani's appearance was an opportunity for community outreach and holiday goodwill. The mayor was welcomed by some locals, posed for photographs and exchanged holiday greetings.
For Benshimol, however, the scene was difficult to watch. She viewed what she considered a pre–World War II mentality of appeasing a ruler in hopes of being treated favorably as unacceptable in the modern postwar era, particularly following the establishment of the State of Israel.
Many who support Benshimol point to the words of then-Prime Minister Menachem Begin, which they believe remain equally applicable today: “I am not a Jew with trembling knees. I am a proud Jew with 3,700 years of civilized history.” Begin went on to recall that Jews had received no outside help while dying in the Holocaust or fighting to establish Israel, declaring, “We paid for it. We fought for it. We died for it. We will stand by our principles…”
Benshimol was stunned that Mamdani had come to Borough Park so close to the High Holidays and even more surprised by what she viewed as a warm reception from some members of the community. In her eyes, this was not simply a political visit. It was a moment that demanded a response—and she gave one.
Inside the store, Benshimol directly confronted the mayor, accusing him of failing to adequately address antisemitism and questioning what she believes has been his role in creating greater fear and concern among Jewish New Yorkers.
“Shame on you for coming to Borough Park where my Bubbie came after the Holocaust,” she told him. “There’s so much more antisemitism since you took office”
Benshimol repeatedly urged Mamdani to do more to combat antisemitism, telling him that he had the power to act and pleading with him to do so. She also accused him of focusing too heavily on Israel while failing, in her view, to adequately address the concerns of Jewish New Yorkers. “All you want to do is arrest Bibi Netanyahu,” she said.
The confrontation grew increasingly tense as store personnel and security moved to remove her from the immediate area. Mamdani did not publicly engage with her accusations during the encounter.
The video quickly spread internationally and across social media and was picked up by news outlets, turning what began as a spontaneous encounter during a shopping trip into a much larger conversation about antisemitism, political leadership and the growing divide between Mamdani and some members of New York's Jewish community.
Some called Benshimol an antagonist. Many others called her a hero—someone unwilling to remain silent while others were, in her words, “rolling out the red carpet” for the mayor.
Behind the viral video, however, was a deeply personal story. Benshimol was not simply an activist who happened to encounter a politician with whom she disagreed. Borough Park represented part of her family's story of survival and rebuilding. During the confrontation, she pointed to the neighborhood's connection to her grandmother's life after the Holocaust and reminded those around her that she was the granddaughter of survivors.
For Benshimol, concerns about antisemitism are not abstract or merely political. They are connected to family history, memory and the experiences of a generation that survived one of history's darkest periods before rebuilding their lives and communities.
The incident also exposed a significant difference of opinion within the Jewish community itself. While Benshimol openly challenged the mayor, others welcomed him. There is no single Jewish position on Mamdani or on how the community should engage with political leaders.
Some believe dialogue and outreach are important, even with elected officials whose positions they strongly oppose. Others believe welcoming a political figure can create the appearance of acceptance at a time when stronger opposition is necessary. Benshimol clearly falls into the latter camp.
Her supporters praised her for being willing to stand alone and speak publicly when others would not. Critics questioned whether confrontation and public disruption were the most effective ways to make her point.
Benshimol was already an outspoken advocate before this encounter drew widespread attention. She has been publicly involved in Jewish and pro-Israel advocacy and has also been critical of Phylisa Wisdom, executive director of the Mayor's Office to Combat Antisemitism. During her confrontation with Mamdani, Benshimol referenced her previous efforts to challenge Wisdom after she was controversially invited to address elderly Holocaust survivors in Brooklyn. When protesters objected to her appearance, Wisdom withdrew rather than speak. Benshimol has also criticized what she believes has been a lack of meaningful action to address antisemitism.
After the video went viral, Benshimol was invited to discuss the incident on podcasts and radio programs, including the popular Sid & Friends in the Morning on 77 WABC. What started as a simple pre-Rosh Hashanah shopping trip had suddenly reached audiences far beyond Borough Park and New York City.
What started as a shopping trip became an unexpected confrontation with the mayor of New York City. That confrontation became a viral video, and the video became part of a much larger conversation about antisemitism, political leadership and how a community responds when its members believe they are not being respected.
For Stephanie Benshimol, silence was not an option. Standing in the neighborhood where her grandmother rebuilt part of her life after the Holocaust, Benshimol saw something she strongly disagreed with—and chose to speak.
For her supporters, that was courage. For her critics, it was controversy.
Either way, one woman's unexpected shopping trip in Borough Park became a moment that people across New York—and far beyond it—could not ignore.
By Robert Pearl