ל׳ תשרי ה׳תשפ״ז | October 11, 2026
Governor Hochul Visits the Ohel Ahead of Elections
New York Governor Kathy Hochul visited the Ohel in Queens on Erev Shabbos, where she praised the Rebbe’s profound influence on Jewish life in New York and around the world.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul visited the Ohel in Cambria Heights, Queens, on Erev Shabbos, paying her respects to the Rebbe, Frierdiker Rebbe, and the Rebbetzin. She also visited the kever of Ari Halberstam.
At the Ohel, Hochul left a note and spent time saying Tehillim. She also gave tzedakah during the visit.
Speaking about her visit, Hochul noted that New York has the largest Jewish population outside of Israel and said she was “humbled to once again visit” and honor the Rebbe.
The Governor recalled how the Rebbe and the Rebbetzin miraculously escaped Nazi Europe and arrived in New York in 1941. Speaking about the Rebbe’s influence on Jewish life in New York and around the world, she said that his “profound impact will be felt for generations to come.”
During the visit, Hochul also lit yahrtzeit candles, including one alongside Mrs. Devorah Halberstam. She joined Halberstam at the kever of her son, Ari Halberstam, hy”d, who was murdered in an antisemitic terrorist attack on the Brooklyn Bridge 32 years ago.
“It is always a profoundly moving experience to stand alongside Devorah Halberstam at her son Ari’s gravesite,” Hochul said. “Ari’s promising life was cut short in an act of antisemitic terror on the Brooklyn Bridge 32 years ago. His loss continues to be felt deeply in New York and across the world.”
The Governor was accompanied by Rabbi Chanina Sperlin, a longtime Crown Heights government liaison and honorary NYPD chaplain, and Rabbi Motti Seligson, director of media relations for Chabad-Lubavitch. Mrs. Halberstam, an honorary NYPD commissioner and chair of the NYPD’s Civilian Hate Crimes Review Panel, also accompanied Hochul.
The visit comes less than a month before New York’s November 3 gubernatorial election. Hochul made a similar visit to the Ohel on October 30, 2022, shortly before the previous gubernatorial election.
COMMENTS
If every orthodox neighborhood in Brooklyn through upstate vote against her we would win. Thats why she is afraid and suddenly is making stops all over the place. We need to stop being fools. We need every yeshiva to demand the parent bodies register to vote in mass. Now this Hochul is promising tax breaks for yeshiva tuition. She is desperate. She knows the Jewish communities in NY state have grown by leaps and bounds. We must wake up and realize she fears Mamdani and will let him destroy NYC.
We gave up our personal safety for a few dollars. Was it worth it?
Vote Bruce Blakeman on November 3.
It’s time for Kathy Hochul to stop lying to New Yorkers. She said she’d take on the utility companies. Instead, she raised our energy bills 48 times. It doesn’t have to be this way. New York needs a leader. We need Bruce Blakeman.
Why don’t the self made Askunim of crown heights tell the governor about real issues facing crown heights such as kingsbrook shul homeless shelters bike lanes new mta city busses crime high taxes, I have 0 reason to vote for any incumbents claiming to representing crown heights they help with nothing in fact create all of the issues in the first place and then keep un getting “our” Askunims Endorsement what is going on here???