New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin and Council Member Jennifer Gutiérrez presented $1.16 million in city funding on Oct. 9 to the United Jewish Organizations of Williamsburg and North Brooklyn. The funding will support its community services and headquarters expansion, according to VIN News.
The announcement took place during a meeting with community leaders, including UJO Executive Director Rabbi David Niederman. Council Members Chi Ossé and Lincoln Restler also helped secure the funding through the city’s fiscal 2027 budget, according to the City Council.
Founded in 1966 by Holocaust survivors, UJO serves a community of about 70,000 people and works with more than 200 nonprofit organizations. Its programs include housing assistance and social services for individuals and families in Williamsburg and North Brooklyn.
The funding comes as the organization expands its headquarters, which is under construction. The additional resources are intended to help UJO maintain its existing services while strengthening its capacity to assist residents.
Menin, the first Jewish speaker of the City Council, also discussed her family’s Holocaust history and the assistance her mother and grandmother received after settling in Manhattan’s former Hungarian Jewish neighborhood. She said those experiences helped shape her commitment to public service and the Jewish community.
The meeting also addressed antisemitism in Williamsburg. Niederman raised concerns about attacks against Jewish residents and thanked Menin for her continued work with the organization.
Menin and UJO have collaborated on several local issues over the years, including reducing fines affecting small businesses, maintaining street access during Jewish holidays and improving census participation to help ensure the community is accurately represented.
The $1.16 million allocation will support UJO’s ongoing work as construction of its expanded headquarters continues. The organization has said the funding will help it maintain essential services for residents who depend on its programs. No completion date for the headquarters project was announced.
