Mayor Adams Proclaims May 24, "Inspector Richie Taylor Day"

By Yehudit Garmaise

When dozens of Jewish men are davening Mincha on the lawn outside of Gracie Mansion before Shulem Lemmer sings, “Nafshi Chamda,” and “New York, New York,” and all of the plant-based food is kosher, you know Mayor Eric Adams is hosting a Jewish Heritage Celebration.

Last night, Joel Eisdorfer, of Boro Park, who is a senior adviser to the mayor, opened the elegant evening by saying, "As we have always witnessed, Mayor Adams has never been silent about defending the Jewish community, or when it comes to standing up for our cops and for our public safety."

Mayor Adams did not just pay tribute to the world’s largest Jewish community outside of Israel, but he articulated his longstanding relationship with New York City Jews by telling the crowd, “I can’t place my hands on each one of your shoulders, but I get it,” he said about anti-Semitism and the ways in which the Jewish community was unfairly targeting during Covid.

“On behalf of 8.8 million New Yorkers,” Mayor Adams then honored a local hero and the highest-ranking police officer to wear a kippah by proclaiming May 24, "Inspector Richie Taylor Day."

“As we all know, the foundation of Judaism is hakaros ha tov -- appreciation for good,” said Inspector Taylor, focusing on thanking others during a time that he was honored. “I know I speak for everyone here, especially those of us in the NYPD that we have so much for which to be thankful to you.”

“We finally feel that City Hall and the office of the mayor has the backs of all New York City police officers, said Taylor, who said he learned more about public safety and community affairs while serving as a new recruit in the 88th precinct under Adams than in all of his time at the Police Academy, where Taylor graduated with honors.

Taylor told Mayor Adams that from him he learned, “how you can lead by example.”

“Moshe Rabbeinu was compared to a candle because he was a light,” Taylor said. “But he also gave over that light to many more candles to make a lot more light without diminishing from his own candle,” Inspector Taylor said.