Council Race Is New Fodder For Old Grudge Bruce Teitelbaum is reaching into Brooklyn to derail the City Council ambitions of an associate of his nemesis, Assemblymember Dov Hikind. Simcha Felder, Hikind's chief of staff, is planning to run for term-limited Noach Dear's Council seat in 2001. A potential foe is Ezra Friedlander, a Hasidic Jew from Borough Park who is also planning to run for the seat. Teitelbaum, formerly Mayor Giuliani's chief of staff and campaign manager, recently called Friedlander to offer his assistance in fundraising, ostensibly to defeat Felder. Teitelbaum and Hikind have had a long-running, often bitter feud that has led to public and private clashes. Friedlander said he has not yet accepted Teitelbaum's help, but he very well may when he begins his campaign in earnest.

"While it is true that he did offer, I haven't made a decision on how I will structure my campaign, so I can't say yes or no, but I welcome everyone's support," said Friedlander. "When I make the announcement (to run), then I will utilize everyone's help in achieving a victory. Before then, I can only keep them in my corner, so to speak." Teitelbaum could not be reached for comment. Felder declined to comment. "If Bruce puts his head to it, he can raise $100,000 in two days," said one local insider. "Can Bruce raise money? Most definitely. (But) is Bruce the kind of guy you want to be associated with in a race in Borough Park? Most definitely not."

The insider said that Teitelbaum's feud with Hikind has damaged his reputation in the area, and that Friedlander would not necessarily need his help to reap the benefits of anti-Hikind sentiment. "There's a lot of hard feelings for Dov, a lot of hard feelings. There are a lot of Democrats in the Orthodox community that are very pissed off that Dov didn't step up to the plate for (Rick) Lazio. (Friedlander) will pick up 30 volunteers just from former Lazio supporters." Hikind declined to make an endorsement in the Senate race between Rick Lazio and Hillary Clinton, saying that either would be a friend of Israel, a stance that angered members of the Orthodox community who harbor doubts about Clinton's support for the Jewish state.

Currently, Friedlander, who is president of a social services organization in Borough Park and the son of a local rabbi, is the only Hasidic candidate planning to run. If elected, he would be the first Hasidic member of the City Council. Samuel Spirgel, a member of Community School Board 21, is an Orthodox candidate known for pulling huge amounts of votes in the school board elections. On November 21, Spirgel held a fundraiser attended by hundreds, including Councilmember Mike Nelson, Assemblymember Steve Cymbrowitz and District Leaders Michael Geller and Renee Hauser. Local activist Sandy Aboulafia, who ran for the seat before, is again a candidate.

Bob Miller, an attorney who lost to Dear in 1991 by roughly 100 votes, is considering another run. Miller was quietly helped by Hikind in 1991, an advantage he will not have this time around due to Felder's presence. But if the Jewish vote is splintered, Miller, the only non-Jew in the race, could have a different advantage. Some insiders believe Miller is also angling for a Supreme Court Judgeship, and that Hikind may support him to keep him out of the running for the Council seat.

"I think what Dov might do is call in a chip from Clarence to get Bob a judgeship," said one source. District Leader Jacob Gold, who is retiring from his job as a teacher, is also considering running.

Lasher To Stay Put Susan Lasher, the wife of Coney Island Councilmember Howard Lasher, denied a rumor that her husband was retiring early so that she could run for the seat in a special election. "(Insiders) have been talking about it for three months," said District Leader Michael Geller. "It's been making the rounds. Originally the story was (Howard Lasher) was hanging around until after January to get some sort of benefit. Now the story is he's going to stick around until June. The longer he stays in office, the better it is for Susan."

"Absolutely not. What kind of stupid rumor is that?" said Susan Lasher. "There's never been any talk about that. We're certainly talking with our club about life after term limits. If you talk about stepping down, he's going to step down December 31, 2001. "He would not step down for me to run in a special-I could run after he finishes," she said, adding that she hasn't given serious consideration to running for the seat herself.

Insiders said that if Lasher were to step down early, it would give his wife a leg up if she chose to make a run at the seat. A special, non-partisan election would be called, giving candidates little time to ready themselves for a sprinting campaign. But if Susan Lasher knew ahead of time that her husband was planning to step down, she could have an advantage in preparation and fund raising.

Additionally, fewer voters turn out for a special election, especially during the winter, meaning that name recognition would be key. And in a special election, most of the votes would likely be concentrated in the district's high rises, where Lasher is strong. Potential candidates eyeing a 2001 run at the seat are keen to the possibility that Lasher could step down early, said sources. Candidates for the race include Pat Singer, executive director of the Brighton Neighborhood Association, and District Leader Marsha Rapaport. School Board 21 member Domenic Recchia and Oleg Gutnick, a doctor popular with the Russian speaking community, are also said to be interested.

Insiders say Recchia has the advantage of an Italian last name if the Jewish vote is splintered, and they are intrigued by the ability of Gutnick to capture the Russian vote. Gutnick, a registered Republican, would also benefit from a non-partisan election since he would not have to run as a Republican. Despite the speculation, Susan Lasher said that the notion of an early retirement for her husband was merely the product of idleness among gossipmongers. "If anybody's bored and calling you with rumors, tell them I could use a lot of help in this house," she said. "I'll keep them very, very busy."

Barrett To Speak At IND Politicos and political junkies may be interested to know that author and Village Voice senior editor Wayne Barrett will be speaking at the Independent Neighborhood Democrats at 8 P.M. on Thursday, December 7. Barrett, most recently the author of Rudy!: An Investigative Biography of Rudolph Giuliani, is a Brooklynite himself. IND is located at 247 Smith Street, between Douglass and DeGraw. All are welcomed to attend.

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