A planned campaign stop by former President Donald Trump at a renowned Brooklyn kosher deli took an unexpected turn due to a tragic event.
According to the New York Post, Trump's scheduled appearance at Gottelib's, a popular kosher deli in Williamsburg, was abruptly canceled following the sudden death of the establishment's owner, Shalom Yoseph Gottelib.
The 76-year-old proprietor succumbed to a heart attack after being hospitalized with pneumonia earlier in the week. The visit, which was to precede Trump's speech at a "Combatting Antisemitism" event in Washington, D.C., was part of his campaign trail activities. The cancellation came as a shock to the local community, who held Gottelib in high regard for his generosity and dedication to his business.
Rabbi Abe Friedman, a friend of Gottelib, expressed the community's sentiment:
Everybody's in shock. He was a good person, and he was an icon because of the iconic restaurant he ran for a very long time. Going from welcoming Trump to a funeral is quite shocking.
Gottelib was known for his charitable nature, often providing free meals to those in need. Rabbi Moshe Indig, a Jewish community leader, shared anecdotes of Gottelib's kindness, including his habit of distributing leftover food to families every Friday before closing.
The deli, founded in 1962 by Gottelib's Holocaust survivor father, Shlomo Zelka, had become a staple in the Hasidic community of Williamsburg. It was one of the few remaining "Glatt kosher" delis in the United States, adhering to strict Jewish dietary laws.
Despite the deli's prominence, Gottelib himself was described as apolitical. Rabbi Bernard Frelich, a Borough Park Jewish community leader, characterized him as a devout practitioner of Judaism who was surprised by the selection of his establishment for Trump's visit.
The decision to include Gottlieb's on Trump's itinerary was reportedly made without the owner's political involvement. Rabbi Indig commented on the unexpected nature of the planned visit:
He was never involved in any politics, but somebody – I don't know why, I don't know who – picked this location for [Trump's] visit. It was good PR, but they had nothing to do with politics.
In recent years, the day-to-day operations of the deli had been managed by Gottelib's son, Menashe, while the elder Gottelib maintained a presence in the business he had nurtured for decades.
Despite the cancellation at Gottlieb's, Trump's campaign activities in New York continued. The day before, he had made appearances at a Bitcoin bar in Manhattan and held a rally at Nassau Coliseum on Long Island.
The former president's decision to campaign in New York, a traditionally Democratic stronghold, is partly attributed to the importance of Long Island in determining control of the House of Representatives in the upcoming election.
Trump's visit to Gottlieb's was canceled due to the sudden death of owner Shalom Yoseph Gottelib at age 76. The beloved community figure was known for his generosity and dedication to his iconic kosher deli. Despite this setback, Trump's campaign continued with other scheduled events in New York and Washington, D.C.
