For Chanukah, JCRC-NY CEO Mark Treyger and Brooklyn BP Antonio Reynoso Lead Inaugural 'Sufganiyot Crawl'

BROOKLYN, NY (12/20/2024) (readMedia)-- On Wednesday, Mark Treyger – CEO of JCRC-NY, former Brooklyn Council Member, and skilled amateur baker – and Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso led a sufganiyot crawl to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Chanukah and the vibrant Jewish community in Brooklyn. Sufganiyot are deep-fried jelly doughnuts traditionally eaten on Chanukah to symbolize the Chanukah miracle, when one day of oil lasted for eight.

The two sampled jelly doughnuts from Strauss Bakery and Taam Eden Bakery in Borough Park, and Sesame in Flatbush. They even got to make a few sufganiyot themselves, helping the professionals fill and decorate the Chanukah treats. Although they each had different preferences regarding the amount of jelly filling, they unanimously agreed that all the bakeries made exceptional sufganiyot and encouraged New Yorkers to support these small businesses this holiday season.

Following the crawl, Mark Treyger dropped off sufganiyot at a Coney Island WIN shelter for women and families to ensure families, regardless of housing status, could share in the joyful and delicious Chanukah tradition. Treyger also used the opportunity to give thanks to the selfless WIN staff who hold up New York's safety net. The WIN visit highlights JCRC-NY's core value of the year – hachnasat orchim (welcoming guests) – which lies at the heart of how the organization builds community.

"In a borough as big as Brooklyn, nothing brings us together quite like the food that celebrates our heritage and traditions," said Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. "Brooklyn is home to the largest population of Jewish people in the United States, and as Borough President, it is a great honor to celebrate the indelible contributions that the Jewish community has made to the culture of our borough by uplifting our small businesses and enjoying this culinary tradition. Thank you to Mark and JCRC for visiting Brooklyn's bakeries with me, and thank you to the wonderful businesses that welcomed us with delicious sufganiyot. I wish all of our Jewish neighbors a very happy Chanukah and encourage all Brooklynites to enjoy sufganiyot from a local Jewish bakery this holiday season!"

"It was such a joy to go on this JAM-packed sufganiyot crawl to highlight some of New York's Jewish bakeries ahead of Chanukah – and eat some delicious jelly doughnuts. I believe that food is a powerful vehicle for bridging cultural divides. As CEO of JCRC-NY, my goal for today's event was to use sufganiyot to foster better understanding of Jewish identity, values, and Chanukah tradition. We achieved just that. Thank you to the Brooklyn Borough President, the wonderful bakeries we visited, and all of the amazing people at WIN for participating," said Mark Treyger, CEO of JCRC-NY.

Mark is the son of Ukrainian immigrants, a former City Council Member representing diverse neighborhoods in Southern Brooklyn, and public school educator. Now at JCRC-NY, Mark is combining his love of Jewish cuisine with a mission to build a more interconnected Jewish community that strengthens Jewish security in New York. He calls this "babka diplomacy." This is a particularly urgent mission given the troubling rise in antisemitism.

PICTURES AVAILABLE HERE.

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About JCRC-NY: JCRC-NY, a proud UJA-Federation of NY agency, serves as the primary community relations agency for the Jewish community in the metropolitan New York area. As an active force in New York civic and communal life, JCRC-NY operates as a central coordinating and resource body with a mission to build relationships to advance the values, interests, and security of the Jewish community and to create a more interconnected New York for all.