Latest news with #SusanZhuang
CBS News
13-06-2025
- General
- CBS News
In changing Bensonhurst, Asian and Jewish communities find shared ground at "Shalom Dragon"
In Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, it's not unusual to find Chinese students baking challah alongside Jewish kids before Shabbat. Asian seniors attend a fitness class steps as Jewish teens throw punches in a boxing bootcamp. All of it happens under one roof—at the Marks Jewish Community House of Bensonhurst, a century-old institution that has become a model for multicultural coexistence as the demographics of the area evolve. "It's critical that we're able to assess the needs by running focus groups, by speaking to all of our community members, by doing market research," said Julia Linetskiy, Director of Program Services at the Marks JCH. Brooklyn Councilwoman Susan Zhuang knows firsthand what happens when cultures mix in close quarters. She remembers sending her daughter to a local preschool, where most of the children came from Russian Jewish families. "I said 'Why she doesn't speak?' And then I realize she speaks Russian. Not Chinese, not English, Russian only," Zhuang recalled, laughing. "It's a fantastic way ... to become a mosaic" In May, Zhuang joined Jewish community leaders to host the second annual "Shalom Dragon" street festival—a public celebration of both Jewish and Asian cultures aimed at showcasing traditions while building something new. "It's a fantastic way not to become a melting pot in a community, to become a mosaic, when each culture can be preserved," said Alex Budnitsky, CEO and Executive Director of the Marks JCH. According to the 2020 U.S. Census, Asian Americans are the fastest-growing population in the country. In Brooklyn alone, the Asian American population grew by over 100,000 people between 2010 and 2020. In Bensonhurst, the shift has been especially dramatic: 41% of the neighborhood now identifies as Asian, compared to just 23% in 2000, according to the NYU Furman Center. "Immigrants have different backgrounds, but the needs are very similar," said Zhuang. "They need to find a job when they come here and they need make sure they have food on the table." The JCH has adapted its programs to serve this increasingly diverse population, using data from quarterly surveys to guide its offerings. From workforce training to ESL classes, the center is responding to the evolving needs of its neighborhood. "Immigrants realize that language is a key to succeed in this country. Therefore, we, the J, became one of the largest providers of adult literacy classes and workforce development in South Brooklyn," said Budnitsky. Today, the center buzzes with activity—from art classes to gymnastics to swim lessons—serving as a place not just for support, but for connection. As the legacy of community building endures at this center, it's the spirit of welcome that's becoming its strongest tradition. Have a story idea or tip in Brooklyn? Email Hannah by CLICKING HERE.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
NYC council member accused of biting a police officer has her case dismissed
NEW YORK (AP) — A New York City Council member accused of biting a police officer during a protest had her criminal case dismissed after she completed a 'restorative justice process,' the Brooklyn district attorney's office said Tuesday. The Democratic council member, Susan Zhuang, had been charged with felony assault and various misdemeanors and violations over the encounter last year, which allegedly occurred during a chaotic protest over the construction of a new homeless shelter in her Brooklyn district. According to a court complaint, Zhuang bit a deputy police chief's forearm and resisted being handcuffed after being told to stop pushing barricades toward officers. Zhuang later said police used excessive force as she was trying to help a woman who was lying on the ground under a barricade. Zhuang's office did not immediately return an emailed request for comment on Tuesday. Her attorney Jerry Goldfeder declined to comment. A spokesperson for Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said the case against Zhuang was dismissed 'through a restorative justice process that created space for dialogue, accountability, and healing.' 'It was based on the wishes of the victim and the defendant's willingness to make amends,' said Oren Yaniv, the spokesperson. "This is exactly what restorative is meant to do — address harm, foster understanding, and support a path forward.'
Associated Press
08-04-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
NYC council member accused of biting a police officer has her case dismissed
NEW YORK (AP) — A New York City Council member accused of biting a police officer during a protest had her criminal case dismissed after she completed a 'restorative justice process,' the Brooklyn district attorney's office said Tuesday. The Democratic council member, Susan Zhuang, had been charged with felony assault and various misdemeanors and violations over the encounter last year, which allegedly occurred during a chaotic protest over the construction of a new homeless shelter in her Brooklyn district. According to a court complaint, Zhuang bit a deputy police chief's forearm and resisted being handcuffed after being told to stop pushing barricades toward officers. Zhuang later said police used excessive force as she was trying to help a woman who was lying on the ground under a barricade. Zhuang's office did not immediately return an emailed request for comment on Tuesday. Her attorney Jerry Goldfeder declined to comment. A spokesperson for Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said the case against Zhuang was dismissed 'through a restorative justice process that created space for dialogue, accountability, and healing.' 'It was based on the wishes of the victim and the defendant's willingness to make amends,' said Oren Yaniv, the spokesperson. 'This is exactly what restorative is meant to do — address harm, foster understanding, and support a path forward.'
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
NYC Councilmember Susan Zhuang, arrested for biting cop, has charges dropped
Susan Zhuang, the New York City Councilmember arrested for biting a cop at an anti-homeless shelter protest, had her charges dropped Tuesday after she went through a restorative justice program. Zhuang, a first-term conservative Democrat, was charged with biting NYPD Deputy Chief Frank DiGiacomo in the arm, drawing blood, during a July 2024 protest against a planned homeless shelter in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. The program, run through Brooklyn Justice Initiatives and the Brooklyn DA's office, brought Zhuang and DiGiacomo together to have a constructive conversation about the incident, in addition to sessions before and after. 'This case was resolved through a restorative justice process that created space for dialogue, accountability, and healing,' a spokesperson for the Brooklyn District Attorney's office said in a statement. 'It was based on the wishes of the victim and the defendant's willingness to make amends. This is exactly what restorative is meant to do — address harm, foster understanding, and support a path forward.' Zhuang, a member of the Republican-majority Common Sense Caucus, has aligned herself with the NYPD and was endorsed by the Police Benevolent Association in 2023. 'It made the most sense for both sides to resolve the case this way,' Jerry Goldfeder, Zhuang's attorney, told the Daily News. The councilmember was charged with felony assault, resisting arrest and obstruction of government administration after her arrest at the 6 a.m. protest. She pleaded not guilty, arguing that she had been protecting an elderly woman. Zhuang has received community support after the arrest, with locals staging a parade in her honor shortly after her arrest. Her legal defense fund opened to help cover expenses raised $66,000. The City Council opened an investigation into the incident last year, but paused proceedings until her case was sorted out in court. The case is sealed and won't remain on her record. Goldfeder noted that Zhuang, who is up for reelection this year, faces no primary and 'no opponent on either the conservative, Republican or Working Families line.'
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Cop-biting charges dismissed against NYC Council member
NEW YORK — A New York City Council member arrested for biting a police officer's arm at a protest against a proposed homeless shelter had her charges dismissed Tuesday after completing a "restorative" justice process. Council Member Susan Zhuang was charged with second degree assault, a felony, and seven other charges following an early morning protest in July in her Southern Brooklyn district. She pleaded not guilty and contended she was trying to protect another protester, an elderly woman. Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez's office said the police officer who was bitten, NYPD Deputy Chief Frank DiGiacomo, was supportive of the decision. 'This case was resolved through a restorative justice process that created space for dialogue, accountability, and healing,' a spokesperson for Gonzalez said in a statement. 'It was based on the wishes of the victim and the defendant's willingness to make amends. This is exactly what restorative justice is meant to do — address harm, foster understanding, and support a path forward.' Zhuang and DiGiacomo met together just once, as part of a program operated by the Center for Justice Innovation, the spokesperson said. Zhuang's lawyer Jerry Goldfeder declined to comment. Zhuang is a Democrat and a member of the conservative-leaning Common Sense Caucus, along with Republican council members. She has aligned herself with the NYPD and was endorsed by the Police Benevolent Association in 2023, so her headline-grabbing assault shocked police brass. 'Councilwoman Zhuang has been a great partner to the New York City Police Department for a long time,' NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell said at a press conference after her arrest. 'But actions today, of assaulting one of our police officers, a deputy chief, by biting him viciously in the arm, I can't explain it right now.' Months before her arrest, a crowd of mostly elderly Asian American New Yorkers had been gathering outside a vacant building in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, banging pots and pans in opposition to the city's plans to contract out the site as a shelter for 150 men. Zhuang has helped organize the protests, which have continued for more than a year. Zhuang is Chinese, and she received energetic support in her community after the arrest. The legal defense fund she opened to help cover the expenses raised more than $65,000 in three months. The dismissal was unconditional, and the case won't remain on Zhuang's record. But the possibility remains that she could face sanctions from the City Council. The body's Committee on Standards and Ethics opened an investigation into the incident in September but put all proceedings on hold until the case was resolved in court. Zhuang is up for reelection this year and is running unopposed.
