| Kalman Yeger | |
| Office: | Member of the New York City Council from the 44th district |
| Term Start: | January 1, 2018 |
| Predecessor: | David G. Greenfield |
| Birth Date: | 26 April 1974 |
| Party: | Democratic |
| Education: | Touro College (BA) New York Law School (JD) |
Kalman Yeger (born April 26, 1974) is an American politician who serves in the New York City Council for the 44th district. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes all or parts of the Bensonhurst, Borough Park, Gravesend, Kensington, and Midwood neighborhoods in Brooklyn.[1]
Yeger is a graduate of Touro College with a B.A. degree and New York Law School with a J.D. degree in 2011.[2] [3]
Yeger began his career as a community liaison and assistant to New York City Councilman Lloyd Henry. He then went on to work as a top advisor to Bronx Borough President Fernando Ferrer, including as the Executive Director of Ferrer’s 2001 & 2005 campaigns for NYC Mayor. In 2010, he began working as senior advisor and counsel to New York City Councilman David G. Greenfield.[2] In 2012, Yeger worked as a senior advisor for Simcha Felder's successful New York State Senate campaign.[4]
Yeger has been a member of Brooklyn Community Board 14 since 2000.[5] He has advised a slew of public officials, including former Borough President and current NYC Mayor Eric Adams, former Borough President and current Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, as well as former NYC Councilmembers Alan Maisel, Lew Fidler, David Yassky, and Mike Nelson.[6]
In 2017, outgoing councilmember David Greenfield encouraged Yeger to run for his council seat, as Greenfield decided not to run for re-election, instead taking over the helm of New York's largest Jewish charity, the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty.[7] Opposing Yeger, was Yoni Hikind, the son of former New York State Assemblyman, Dov Hikind, whose district covered much of the same constituency.[8] [9] Yeger received endorsements from The Patrolmen's Benevolent Association[10] & The United Federation of Teachers.[11] Yeger also received the endorsement of the then four Democratic NYC Borough Presidents including NYC Mayor Eric Adams, as well as Melinda Katz, Ruben Diaz Jr, and Gale Brewer.[12]
In 2021, Yeger won re-election after running unopposed in the general election. Yeger, who ran on the Democrat, Republican, and Conservative lines garnered 97.8% of the vote.
In 2023, Yeger won the Democratic Primary unopposed while also defeating Heshy Tischler in the Republican Primary 52%-48%. In the general election, Yeger who again ran on the Democrat, Republican, and Conservative lines, received 80% of the vote, trouncing Tischler again, who this time ran under the Boro Park Flatbush Party line. Yeger received the endorsement of The New York City Correction Officers’ Benevolent Association.[13]
In 2024, Yeger ran for New York State's 41st Assembly seat, which was held by longtime Assembly Member Helene Weinstein who was retiring after a record-breaking 44 years.[14] [15] Yeger won the primary with 70.7% of the vote, defeating Adam Dweck. Yeger was endorsed by Weinstein[16] and Solidarity PAC.[17]
As of 2024, Yeger was serving on the following New York City Council committees:[18]
On March 26, 2019, Yeger accused Democratic Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar of being an antisemite due to her criticism of AIPAC and then claimed that "Palestine does not exist". This resulted in protests outside Yeger's office in Boro Park.[19] He was later removed from the New York City Council's immigration committee.[20]
On October 30, 2022, Yeger tweeted a video of a swarm of bikers taking over a New York City street, Yeger compared these bikers to cockroaches saying, "Like cockroaches, there's never just one".[21] Yeger received major backlash as a result with many calling the tweet racist pointing out that a majority of the bikers were black and brown. He subsequently deleted the tweet that same day.