Joe Lazar has been serving the community for the past 40 years. Joe understands the inner workings of government and how to navigate the system to bring services and funds to his community.

The son of holocaust survivors, whose parents survived Auschwitz and Dachau , but saw their three grown children (ages 10, 13 & 16) cremated in Auschwitz, Joe was born in a Displaced Person Camp (DP Camp) in Rosenheim, Germany in 1948.

He attended, and graduated from Yeshiva Toras Emes and went on to learn in Rabbi Jacob Joseph High School (RJJ), on the Lower East Side , graduated, and continued in the Bais Medrash.

Joe received a Master’s Degree in Urban Studies from Long Island University. He was a member of Community Board # 12 and Chairman of its Finance Committee. Joe founded and was the first President of the Midwood Manor Civic Action Association, promoting neighborhood safety. In memory of his daughter who passed away, suddenly, at the tender age of 17 from a cerebral hemorrhage, Joe founded and is President of the Rochelly Foundation – a Bikur Cholim, working in conjunction with Satmar Bikur Cholim, delivering chicken soup to patients in Brooklyn Hospitals.

As the  Director of Fiscal Affairs at the NYC Department of Buildings, Joe helped many of our local institutions and community organizations, cut through the “red tape” to allow them to build what was necessary for their growth and the growth and vitality of the community.

As the NYC Regional Director for the NYS Office of Mental Health, Joe ran a four billion dollar mental health system, and developed a reputation for listening to the needs of not only his community, but all of the communities in NYC. He brought mental health programs, housing programs, and programs for “Kids-at-Risk”, to organizations in our community, including Sephardic Bikur Holim, Ohel, Pesach Tikvah, Boro Park Bikur Cholim, and MASK to name a few. These programs have generated tens of millions of dollars per year, and the community has become more aware of mental health issues because of his involvement. Joe was also involved in delivering mental health services to our community in the aftermath of historic events like the Crown Heights Riots, the Ari Halberstam murder, and last, but certainly not least, his management of the 9/11 tragedy. Most recently, Joe was responsible for the establishment of the Yatzkan Center , the first and only multi-faceted mental health and substance abuse program for orthodox kids-at-risk.

Joe was recently appointed to an NYPD committee to deal with “Emotionally Disturbed Persons”.

Joe and his wife Surie live in Midwood with their three married children and eleven grandchildren.