Ex-Mamdani campaign staffer says she was ‘mistaken’ after claiming NYC synagogue attack was not antisemitic
Debbie Saslaw, a co-founder and executive producer of Brooklyn-based political production company Melted Solids, said she was “mistaken” after initially claiming that an attack at a Manhattan synagogue was not antisemitic because the alleged assailant was Jewish.
Saslaw made the comments on X after sharing a New York Post report about the Aug. 14 attack at Central Synagogue in Midtown Manhattan.
“Apparently this guy was an Orthodox Jew who was lashing out at Jews,” Saslaw wrote. “I wouldn’t call that an ‘antisemitic attack.’” She deleted the post after it drew criticism.
Saslaw later told the Post that she was “obviously mistaken” and said she had never questioned whether the incident constituted a hate crime. She said a family member had been attending the service and that she was “extremely disturbed” by the attack.
In a follow-up exchange on X, she said she had been “obviously panicked” and had not seen information about the incident for several hours. According to the Post, she also suggested that she may have confused the suspect with a “Jews for Jesus” adherent. Saslaw’s X account is now private.
The suspect, Larry Montes, 46, of the Bronx, was arrested after allegedly disrupting a Shabbat service at Central Synagogue, assaulting a congregant and attacking a security guard. Police said Montes struck a 63-year-old woman, causing minor injuries, and later spat at and head-butted a member of the synagogue’s security team. He also allegedly damaged synagogue property.
Montes faces two counts of assault as a hate crime and one count of criminal mischief as a hate crime, in addition to other charges. Police said he made antisemitic remarks during the incident, which was captured on a livestream of the service.
Saslaw is a former senior producer for New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s campaign and co-founded Melted Solids with Anthony DiMieri. The Brooklyn-based production company produced many of Mamdani’s viral campaign videos, working with him as early as his 2022 campaign for the New York State Assembly.
Mamdani condemned the synagogue attack, calling it “horrifying” and saying every New Yorker should be able to practice their religion without fear of violence.
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Debbie Saslaw, a co-founder of Melted Solids and former senior producer for Zohran Mamdani’s campaign, retracted her initial claim that an August 14 attack at Manhattan’s Central Synagogue was not antisemitic. Saslaw had posted on X, stating, “Apparently this guy was an Orthodox Jew who was lashing out at Jews. I wouldn’t call that an ‘antisemitic attack.’” She later deleted the post, telling the New York Post she was “obviously mistaken” and “obviously panicked,” clarifying she never questioned if it was a hate crime. The suspect, Larry Montes, 46, faces charges including assault as a hate crime and criminal mischief as a hate crime for allegedly disrupting a Shabbat service, assaulting a congregant, attacking a security guard, and making antisemitic remarks.
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