Greenfield visits Jerusalem, meets with deputy mayor

August 16, 2017 By Paula Katinas Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Councilmember David G. Greenfield (left) and Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Yitzchok Pindrus had a great deal to discuss when they met during Greenfield’s visit to Israel. Photo courtesy of Greenfield’s office

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Councilmember David G. Greenfield is leaving his post in December to take the top job at a nonprofit social services agency, but the Borough Park lawmaker is not spending his last months in office being idle.

Greenfield (D-Borough Park-Midwood-Bensonhurst) recently took a trip to Israel that included a stop in Jerusalem, where he met with that city’s deputy mayor, Yitzchok Pindrus.

Greenfield and Pindrus discussed strategies for combating poverty in their respective cities, including workforce training and affordable housing, according to the councilmember’s office.

Greenfield is the chairman of the City Council’s Land Use Committee. He presented a number of his ideas to Pindrus on Jerusalem’s efforts to build more affordable housing units. Pindrus, a senior member of the United Torah Judaism party, shared his ideas for improving living standards among the Charedi communities in New York and Jerusalem.

Over the years, Greenfield has met with several high-level Israeli officials, including Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon and Consul General Dani Dayan.

In 2016, Greenfield he was awarded the Leadership Award from the Israeli Building Center for his work in promoting economic development between Israel and the U.S.

Greenfield, who is an Orthodox Jew, said that he and many of his constituents have family in Israel.

“Israel has served as our Jewish homeland for thousands of years. Many of my constituents, including myself, have family and friends who live there. Bringing my expertise to help Israeli citizens is one of the proudest things I can do as a Jewish elected official,” he said in a statement.

New York and Jerusalem have a lot in common, Greenfield said.

“There’s an affordable housing crisis in Jerusalem, just like there is in New York City. We have many of the same constituencies even though they are living halfway across the world. I was thrilled to hear what my counterparts in Jerusalem are doing and share with them some of our innovative efforts,” he stated.

In a move that took his colleagues by surprise, Greenfield announced earlier this month that he is leaving the City Council when his term ends on Dec. 31 to become the executive director of the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty, a nonprofit organization that helps poverty-stricken New Yorkers.

Greenfield, who first won the seat in the 44th Council District in 2010, was considered a shoo-in for re-election this November.

Instead, he is leaving politics.

The nonprofit sector is not unknown to Greenfield. Prior to entering politics, he served as the director of the Sephardic Community Federation.