As early voting in the mayoral race is well in progress, New Yorkers had the last chance to hear from the candidates directly at the final debate in the race for the Democratic nomination. The debate focused on the grave issues facing New York City: crime, homelessness, economic progress, and the lack of affordable housing.

The stakes were high for all the candidates, as it came just six days before the Democratic primary, which is all but certain to determine the next mayor of New York. And with the polls indicating a very close race. Especially between front runners Andrew Yang and Eric Adams who sharpened their differences on many topics, but mostly around public safety and crime.

The debate served as an opportunity for the candidates to highlight their policies and plans for the future of the city, but also as a medium to give New Yorkers an opportunity to get to know the candidates on a personal level. The moderators asked the candidates several personal questions, including one that asked what it was their most difficult moment on the campaign trail.

Candidates provided different answers, ranging from the grind of the campaign to personal stories of grief. When Mr. Yang’s turn came, he revealed that for him this moment was when he attended the Shiveh of a family who lost their son in the Meron tragedy last Lag B’omar in which 45 people lost their lives.

“Consoling a father who has lost his son, I am a dad to two sons. I just imagined myself in his shoes comforting him felt like a blessing, but it was a very tough experience.” Mr. Yang stated without revealing the identity of the family, according to the campaign, out of respect for their privacy.

The answer underscores Mr. Yang’s unprecedented outreach operation to the Orthodox Jewish community which has developed into a deeper bond over the course of the campaign as Mr. Yang has spent countless hours in Jewish neighborhoods listening to resident’s concerns and – as in the aforementioned instance – also bonding with people over their personal grief and experiences.