Simcha Felder, born December 30, 1958, in Brooklyn, New York, is an American attorney and politician deeply embedded in the Orthodox Jewish community of Brooklyn. He earned a Bachelor of Arts from Brooklyn College and a Juris Doctor from Brooklyn Law School, practicing law before entering public service. Felder served in the New York State Senate from 2013 to 2019, representing the 17th District encompassing Borough Park and other heavily Hasidic areas; during this tenure, he caucused with Republicans as an independent despite appearing on the Democratic ballot, notably blocking Democratic supermajorities in 2018. In 2021, Felder was elected to the New York City Council for the 44th District, which includes Borough Park, Midwood, and Kensington, taking office in 2022. A member of the Democratic Party, he advocates for issues like yeshiva education funding, affordable housing, and protections for religious communities. Felder has received endorsements from prominent Haredi leaders and maintains influence in Brooklyn's ultra-Orthodox networks through his legal and communal ties.