Opinion
NY Jews prepare to fight back against anti-Zionist mayor Zohran Mamdani
From schools and policing to business regulation, communal groups are bracing for a hostile City Hall
November 13, 2025 16:49
2 min read
From schools and policing to business regulation, communal groups are bracing for a hostile City Hall
November 13, 2025 16:49What happens when a Jeremy Corbyn-backed anti-Zionist becomes mayor of America’s most Jewish city? New York City’s Jews will know come January, and Jewish organisations may have to pivot.
The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organisations announced plans to “strengthen activism, advocacy, and coordination across New York’s Jewish communities” and “demand moral clarity and decisive action from every level of government”. How that will manifest remains to be seen. However, since the City University of New York’s Corbynism is going citywide, let’s start there.
CUNY professor Jeffrey Lax, founder of S.A.F.E. Campus, which advocates for Jewish Zionists facing discrimination, thinks planning depends on Mamdani’s actions. Still, “the Democratic Socialists of America documents [that] came out recently” reveal “extremist positions they’re demanding Mamdani take”, overwhelmingly focused on “Jews and Israel”. Lax expects that will become “a central, if not the main, focus of [Mamdani’s] administration”. Specifically, that means “the school system will be a nightmare for Jews, the streets will be a nightmare for Jews, doing business is going to be a nightmare for Jews”.
One reported candidate to lead New York City’s public school system, the nation’s largest, is former Squad-aligned Congressman Jamaal Bowman. Undoubtedly, an anti-Zionist schools chancellor would worsen schools’ atmosphere for Jews.
Gerard Filitti, senior counsel at the Lawfare Project (LP), which defends Jewish civil rights, noted LP recently introduced “a legal toolkit for parents” interested in involvement with schools and recognising possible legal issues. For those who become plaintiffs, Lori Lowenthal Marcus, legal director of the Deborah Project, which combats antisemitism in education, said her organisation brings lawsuits “in state and federal courts”. Those “are ruled by state and federal anti-discrimination laws, over which Mr Mamdani has no power or control. Thank God.” Expect to see more educational lawsuits alleging anti-Jewish discrimination.
New York will become more dangerous for everyone, but especially for Jews – the most targeted hate crime demographic – as Mamdani’s animosity toward police becomes official policy. Mitch Silber, executive director of the Community Security Initiative (New York’s version of CST) and former NYPD senior intelligence and counterterrorism official, told Jewish Insider that CSI began retooling after Mamdani’s primary win: “CSI formed ‘Task Force Z’, a group of senior regional security directors charged with understanding what policies Mamdani might put into place that would affect public safety and Jewish security,” including disbanding the unit that polices protests. Among CSI’s solutions are “increased partnerships with other Jewish volunteer security groups” and “coordinating with Jewish security leadership groups in cities including Johannesburg, South Africa, Mexico City and Toronto ‘to try to understand how to protect the Jewish community when police don’t respond in a way that you expect them to’, said Silber.” These adjustments are critical, given widespread resignations expected from NYPD.
Israeli and Jewish businesses could face discrimination under Israel-boycott supporter Mamdani. Filitti told me LP is “preparing legal briefs on business boycotts”, explaining they violate state and federal law. LP is hosting educational workshops to elucidate relevant laws and rights. LP also intends to monitor new business regulations for possible targeting and disparate impact. Much of this work is educating the public, so “they can flag . . . potential legal issues”.
The Anti-Defamation League is definitely focused on flagging, announcing the Mamdani Monitor. ADL’s website described this as “a public-facing tracker monitoring policies, appointments and actions by the Mamdani Administration that impact Jewish community safety and security”. It will build on a new citywide Jew-hatred tipline and “early-warning research” about City Hall actions.
Claims of Jewish support for Mamdani will also require scrutiny. Jonathan Schulman, executive director of the Jewish Majority, which promotes Jews’ accurate representation, expressed concern that “token organisations” will “be utilised by the Mamdani administration to ”claim Jews back “policies that the overwhelming majority of the Jewish community opposes”. Ensuring “narratives don’t just get a free pass” will require constant vigilance.
Mamdani’s hostility to Zionists means his administration will likely shun most New York Jews. There will be no working with City Hall. Everything will have to be accomplished from the outside. And it will be ugly.
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