Dov Hikind grew up in a Haredi Jewish family in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, his father being a devout follower of the Vizhnitz Hasidic dynasty.
21 Facts About Dov Hikind
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Dov Hikind has a BA from Queens College, and a MA from Brooklyn College.
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Dov Hikind is married, and has three children: Yoni, Shmuel, and Deena.
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Dov Hikind endorsed Michael Bloomberg the first two times he ran for mayor of New York City, then switched his endorsement to the challenger Bill Thompson in the 2009 election.
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Dov Hikind's district had long been one of the most conservative districts in New York City.
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Dov Hikind expressed interest in the special election for the New York's 9th congressional district seat vacated by Anthony Weiner; Dov Hikind did not expect the Democrats to nominate him, and considered running as a Republican.
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In 2018, Dov Hikind retired from the New York State Assembly, proclaiming support for his successor Simcha Eichenstein.
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Dov Hikind has advocated for the profiling of Muslims of Middle Eastern and South Asian background as a response to terrorism.
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Dov Hikind was instrumental in arranging for the allocation of $1.2 million in a project that helped to install 120 closed-circuit television security cameras in nine South Brooklyn subway stations that are located in Jewish neighborhoods such as Borough Park, Midwood, Kensington, and Parkville.
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Dov Hikind stated that the project was prompted by "concerns that the Jewish community would be targeted" by terrorists.
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Dov Hikind encouraged politicians to do the same in other subway stations, which now lag behind those of his community.
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Dov Hikind is part of a group of New York state legislators that has consistently attempted to block plans to renovate the headquarters of the United Nations, calling the UN anti-American and anti-Israel.
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Dov Hikind criticized President Barack Obama for abstaining on UN Security Council Resolution 2234, which criticized Israeli settlement activity in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, calling the UN a "cesspool".
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In 1997, Dov Hikind was indicted by the US Attorney for allegedly receiving $40,000 in funding from the Council of Jewish Organizations of Borough Park in exchange for hundreds of thousands of dollars in state grant money.
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Dov Hikind was acquitted, while his co-defendant, an official of the organization, Rabbi Elimelech Naiman, was found guilty.
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In 2013, Dov Hikind was alleged to have routinely failed to disclose payments he received from Maimonides Hospital for advertising on his syndicated show.
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Dov Hikind was accused of arranging jobs in government for friends and family members.
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Dov Hikind wore blackface, an afro wig and sunglasses during the 2013 Purim celebration, dressing up as what he said was a basketball player.
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Dov Hikind initially defended his costume decision, pointing to the "anything goes" tradition of Purim, but eventually apologized, saying that he didn't mean to offend anyone.
20.
Charles Barron said that Dov Hikind's apology was not enough, asking Sheldon Silver to remove Dov Hikind from his position of assistant majority leader.
21.
Dov Hikind filed a lawsuit against US Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for blocking him on Twitter.