Jewish Community Officials Meet With New York FBI Heads

New York Jewish community officials this week met with FBI officials who took over the Bureau’s New York Field Office last summer

Michael J. Driscoll was named assistant director in charge of the New York Field Office, and Nicholas Boshears was named special agent in charge of the Operations Support Division of the New York Field Office.

At the meeting at FBI headquarters in Lower Manhattan, the officials discussed issues pertaining to the Jewish community, including that of public safety, as antisemitic hate crimes have risen in recent years.

One notable interaction occurred when  Yanky Meyer, founder and director of Misaskim, explained to Boshears how Misaskim works with law-enforcement agencies, including during times of tragedy. Boshears asked how Misaskim first began its relationship with the FBI. Meyer replied that he had befriended the previous assistant director in charge of the New York Field Office, William Sweeney,  when Misaskim worked on the security for the 2012 Siyum Hashas in 2012 at MetLife Stadium.

Boshears then said , “Oh, you’re the guys with the big blue van and the blue jackets!” Boshears explained that he had been working in Pittsburgh at the time of the Tree of Life massacre — when he got a call from Sweeney to assist the Misaskim team at the scene.

Other participants included community leaders Chesky Blau, Rabbi Eli Cohen, Rabbi Abe Friedman, Rabbi Joel Friedman, David Heskiel, Jack Kishk,, Rabbi Michael Miller, David Pollock,  Mitch Silber, Rabbi Yeruchim Silber, and NYPD Deputy Inspector Richie Taylor, and FBI agents and officials Chris Delzotto, Chris Donohue, Michael Dougherty, AJ Kornberger, Natalia Peters, Eric Reese,  Evelyn Vera.