New York City Mayor Eric Adams visited the gravesite of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, explaining that "in difficult times, we go to those spiritual leaders, to ask for blessing."

"I was here when I was running for office, during a very difficult moment," Adams added. "I came here to ask for a blessing."

"When I stood by the Rebbe's mother's site, I asked for her to communicate with my mother, because the spirit of our mothers are so significant. We are the fruits from the tree of our mothers and our grandmothers and our great-grandmothers. And it's all connected."

Adams added: "It doesn't matter what faith you are, believing in the power of blessing is not connected to any particular group, it's connected to the greatest race alive, and that's the human race."

Noting that he also visited the gravesite of Ari Halberstam, whose mother, Adams, said, "is a good friend."

"Coming here and just putting a stone on his tombstone was extremely significant for me, because he's representative of our children," Adams said. "We must do everything possible to protect our children, we see that every day."

"We must not allow guns to be in the hands of bad people.... We are committed, dedicated, to stop the violence towards our children."

Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan, who accompanied Adams, said, "I'm truly honored to be here today, with my dear friend Mayor Adams, to come and pay our respects to the Rebbe. Mayor Adams is a true friend of the Jewish People and of the State of Israel and I'm very happy and honored and privileged to be here with him today."

"We all know that the Rebbe's legacy was to make the world a better place, and today we could see around the world thousands of his emissaries of the Chabad movement, and that is exactly what they are doing: going everywhere, bringing people closer to Judaism. For many years, the wisdom and the leadershio of the Rebbe were recognized by world leaders, and the presence, the fact that Mayor Adams is here, is the continuation of the legacy of the Rebbe."

Turning to Adams, Erdan added, "I'm so grateful for you being here, and not for the first time. So I congratulate you and I wish you all the luck and success in the world."