Chaim M. Deutsch is an American politician who served as a New York City Council Member for the 48th district from 2014 to 2021. He is a Democrat. The district includes Brighton Beach, Gerritsen Beach, Gravesend, Manhattan Beach, Marine Park, Midwood, Plum Beach, and Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn. He was expelled from City Council after his guilty plea to charges of tax fraud in April 2021.

Deutsch is the son of Romanian immigrants who were Holocaust survivors.^[1] As a teenager, his father survived three concentration camps and was liberated at Gunskirchen before coming to the United States in 1965, but never spoke about the experience. Deutsch discovered his father's Holocaust history in a book after his death.^[2][3][4]

Growing up, Deutsch lived in a small two-bedroom apartment as one of four boys. In between studying at yeshiva, Deutsch took up a number of jobs to support his family, such as making pizza in a kosher pizza shop.^[5]

He married his wife Sara at age 19 and has five children, as well as two grandchildren.^[6] He speaks English, Yiddish, and Spanish.^[7][8] Deutsch is an Orthodox Jew and a Kohen.

In 1991 at age 23, Deutsch was inspired by volunteer patrols in neighboring communities and founded the Flatbush Shomrim Safety Patrol, in which he later served as President and ran until 2010.^[9][10]

In 1996, he began working as a constituent liaison for Councilman Lloyd Henry and later became Chief of Operations for Councilman Michael Nelson. Deutsch also worked in real estate management and eventually founded his own firm, Chasa Management, which he had to give up after new City Council rules banned outside income for members.^[11]

Deutsch is a graduate of the New York Police Department Citizens Police Academy. Following the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy in 2012, he mobilized volunteers to evacuate residents and assist in the distribution of goods to people affected by the storm. Deutsch was elected Councilman in 2013 after defeating Theresa Scavo, lawyers Nátraj Bhushan and Igor Oberman and District Leader Ari Kagan in the Democratic primary, and then defeating David Storobin in the general election. Deutsch also served as vice president and police liaison for the Council of Jewish Organizations of Flatbush.

Deutsch was elected to the New York City Council on November 5, 2013 after defeating Republican David Storobin and multiple primary opponents. He succeeded Democrat Mike Nelson, who was term-limited.^[26][27]

In 2017, Deutsch won re-election, after defeating both an opponent in the Democratic primary and Steve Saperstein (Republican, Conservative, and Reform Parties) in the general election.^{[28][29][30][31]}

Per official election night results, Deutsch came in fourth in the 2020 Democratic primary for New York's 9th congressional district, behind incumbent Yvette Clarke and Adem Bunkedekko.^[20]