Opinion
New York’s Jews work out who their friends are
As the mayoral race hots up, synagogues are for electioneering
October 1, 2025 09:30
3 min read
As the mayoral race hots up, synagogues are for electioneering
October 1, 2025 09:30The season of repentance is a time to take stock of our relationships. As 5786 gets underway, it’s also an opportune time to consider the Jewish community’s relationships. So, let’s zoom in on New York City – home to America’s largest Jewish community – and assess the present moment.
Amid surging antisemitism since October 7, Jews still have unapologetic friends. New York City Mayor Eric Adams tweeted pictures of himself cheerfully visiting a Lebanese-Jewish congregation for Rosh Hashanah. Decked out in a kippah and a coat with massive Jewish stars, Adams’ bold get-up blared, “proud to stand with New York’s Jews!” (Adams has since dropped his re-election bid, which many hope will help defeat Corbynist Zohran Mamdani.)
Earlier that day, America’s new Ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, stood up for Jews at the United Nations. Waltz opened his remarks at the UN’s Gaza discussion by criticising the UN: “We find it deeply regrettable that Council Members have opted to convene this high-level UN Security Council briefing on Gaza on Rosh Hashanah – the Jewish New Year – knowing full well that that decision excludes Israel.” Waltz further noted the “main outcome” of the UN Security Council’s 80-plus meetings “since October 7” was “to embolden Hamas, to undermine and disrupt negotiations that are aimed at freeing all of the hostages and ending the war and ending the suffering.”
Sunday brought the Jewish News Syndicate’s Visionary Leadership Assembly to New York City. Leo Terrell, chair of the Department of Justice Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, addressed attendees while wearing his red cap with hostage Hadar Goldin’s name. Terrell told attendees, “Antisemitism is wrong, and it should be eliminated.” Reflecting on people commenting that he’s “doing fantastic for the Jewish people,” Terrell continued, “I’m not doing enough. There is more to be done.”
Beyond these friends, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo appears interested in repairing his relationship with New York City’s Orthodox Jews, whom he stigmatised during Covid. Heading into Rosh Hashanah, Cuomo visited the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s resting place and an Orthodox congregation in Brooklyn. Cuomo clearly hopes he’ll be observant voters' port in a political storm.
That’s the good news. In less good news, Jews still face serious challenges. For example, the New York Times, which helps set American left-wing narratives, remains hostile. For Rosh Hashanah, the Times covered American Jews’ “extraordinary tension" over Israel and antisemitism by interviewing a Rabbi who used the phrase “weaponisation of antisemitism” earnestly.
On Sunday, the Times reframed far-right Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor-Greene “as a powerful free agent” who’s holding President Trump accountable. This is the same Greene who opposed codifying the IHRA definition of antisemitism in law because it references blaming Jews for Jesus’ crucifixion, accused Israel of starvation and genocide in Gaza, proposed cutting $500 million from Israel’s missile defense aid, and said pro-Israel organisation AIPAC “should register as a foreign lobbyist,” even though AIPAC represents Americans.
The most pressing issue, however, remains New York’s mayoral contest. Jewish Insider reported that anti-Zionist front-runner Zohran Mamdani “attended his first Rosh Hashanah service on Monday night at a Brooklyn synagogue,” accompanied by New York City’s Jewish Comptroller, Brad Lander. During his Rosh Hashanah sermon, the rabbi “accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza.” By Thursday, Manhattan synagogue B’nai Jeshurun had to tell Jewish Insider that contrary to rumors stemming from the Times’ reporting, Mamdani would not be joining their Yom Kippur services to campaign.
That same day, Zeteo released an interview with Mamdani, in which he opined, “there are far better representations of the concerns of Jewish New Yorkers than the ADL and [its CEO] Jonathan Greenblatt.” Of course, no one Jewish organisation speaks for all American Jews, but nobody asked Mamdani to speak for New York’s Jews either. For Mamdani, this isn’t about hearing from Jewish conservatives. It’s about continuing the anti-Zionists’ war on ADL.
Mamdani clearly prefers dealing with anti-Zionist Jews. If he wins, he may well treat anti-Zionists as representatives of the larger Jewish community. One such anti-Zionist organisation endorsed Mamdani on Friday, “not in spite of our commitment to Jewish values but because of them.” The many Jewish New Yorkers with different values should shout them with their ballots come November.
Nearly two years after October 7, American Jews can better discern friends from foes. But if American Jews want to maximise blessings and minimise curses in 5786, they’ll need some help from those time-tested friends.
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