Acting Brooklyn DA Eric Gonzalez Receives Award for Promoting Multicultural Unity

Lead photo: From left on top row are Democratic District Leader Josh Pierre, Jewish Community Relations Council Executive Director Rabbi Bob Kaplan, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, Bridge Multicultural Project Founder & President Mark Meyer Appel And City Councilman Mathieu Eugene. Seated are Assemblywoman Rodneyse Bichotte and award recipient Warren Chan. All photos by Michael Wright.

By Kings County Politics:

SOUTH BROOKLYN, BROOKLYN — Acting Kings County Attorney Eric Gonzalez, who grew up in Williamsburg, received a special unity award at the Bridge Multicultural Project’s annual Holiday party, at 1984 Flatbush Ave. on Monday night.

In receiving the award, Gonzalez exhibited both a humility and toughness. The late District Attorney Kenneth Thompson named him as the interim DA just days before he stepped down due to his cancer illness and died days later. Gonzalez also has the strong support of Lu-Shawn Thompson, Thompson's widow.

“I am deeply honored to be able to carry out District Attorney Thompson’s vision of equal justice for all in Brooklyn and I pledge to continue his criminal justice reforms. I am fully committed to the important initiatives that we have put in place and will work every day to keep the people of Brooklyn safe,” said Gonzalez in receiving the award.

Gonzalez recounted how he grew up in East New York and Williamsburg, and attended John Dewey High School in Coney Island. He also explained how he spent his professional life fighting for justice having started as an assistant district attorney in the Kings County District Attorney’s Office in 1995 straight out of law school.

Mark Meyer Appel, a lifelong Brooklynite who has a strong message about bridging cultures, founded the Bridge MP.

The evening’s crowd was a good mix of religious and non-religious Jews and Muslims as well as people of different races and ethnicities who all mingled, ate Kosher and Halal food, danced, and listened to the cracker jack four-piece band featuring international singing sensation Neshama.

Appel is also a major fundraiser for a number of candidates, and lets out the Bridge space free of charge for a number of good causes such as blood drives, and political town halls and educational forums. There were a number of elected officials in attendance at the party including City Council Members Mathieu Eugene and Jumaane Williams, and Assemblywoman Rodneyse Bichotte.

But Appel, a strong supporter of Israel, is particularly involved in fighting child abuse with a strong emphasis on child molestation in the Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods from which he originally came. As such, he was a major supporter of Thompson and strongly believes Gonzalez will carry on Thompson’s legacy of fighting for social justice in all forms.

“I think Eric is a special person that can unify Brooklyn. He has on the job experience being in the district attorney’s office for many years as a prosecutor. He’s also accessible, kind and comes from, and understands the community,” said Appel.

Photo credit: Kings County Politics