BROOKLYN, N.Y. (VINnews) — Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, the Republican nominee for New York governor, held a roundtable discussion Sunday afternoon with philanthropist Rav Yoel Landau at Landau’s Williamsburg home. The meeting, held on Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan, focused on issues facing the Jewish community.​

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The gathering was convened by Rabbi David Katz, executive director of the Israel Heritage Foundation, who has worked closely with both men. Photographs from the session show the three seated at a marble table in a wood-paneled library lined with shelves of seforim, with trays of pastries and refreshments.​

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Blakeman, the first Jewish county executive in Nassau County history, has emphasized public safety, fiscal restraint and opposition to antisemitism during his tenure. He launched his statewide campaign in December 2025 after securing a second term in Nassau and received the endorsement of President Donald Trump following the withdrawal of another Republican contender. Landau is a prominent Satmar philanthropist known for large-scale distributions to needy families, support for educational institutions and other community chesed initiatives in Williamsburg and beyond.​

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Katz, a Brooklyn resident and graduate of Yeshiva Torah Vodaas, leads the Israel Heritage Foundation, which works to support Israel’s security and sovereignty while combating antisemitism and promoting Jewish heritage. The foundation has organized political and communal engagements involving rabbis and public officials.​

The discussion took place in the heart of Williamsburg’s Hasidic community, one of the largest concentrations of Orthodox Jews in the United States. Blakeman has previously engaged with Jewish communities in Brooklyn, including visits to Crown Heights, as part of his outreach on issues such as security, education and rising antisemitism.

No further details of the specific topics or outcomes of the roundtable were immediately available.