The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office has historically been one of the most important and closely watched local prosecutor’s offices in the country. The last few years have been no different.

A son of Harlem who has served as both a state and federal prosecutor, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, Jr., has spent more than two decades fighting to make New York’s communities safer and criminal justice system fairer.

As the first Black district attorney in Manhattan, DA Bragg restructured the Manhattan DA’s Office to focus more resources on prosecuting serious violent crimes. He prioritized combatting gun violence through targeted enforcement and investments in prevention, resulting in a 40% drop in shootings his first two years in office. Bragg created the Office’s first Special Victims Division, Pathways to Public Safety Division, and Worker Protection and Housing and Tenant Protection Units.

Combatting hate crimes is a top priority for DA Bragg’s administration. In 2022, he successfully advocated for an additional $1.7 million in funding to expand the Office’s Hate Crimes Unit with additional prosecutors, investigators and community partnership coordinators, resulting in a record number of hate crimes prosecutions.

He successfully championed legislation to add new hate crimes offenses to New York State Law and has been vocal about his office’s work to combat antisemitism.

The Temple Emanu-El Streicker Cultural Center is proud to welcome District Attorney Bragg to talk about the challenges of using legal tools to fight antisemitism and his efforts to keep ALL New Yorkers safe.

Bragg will be in conversation with Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs.