Mamdani Meets with Rabbis Ahead of High Holy Days

In an hour-long meeting with Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Monday, rabbis from across Jewish denominations urged him to tone down his anti-Israel rhetoric, which they said was making New York City unsafe for Jews.  Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, told the Forward that nobody there, right or left, told the mayor everything was “great.”

Even progressive rabbis who criticize Israel publicly themselves said they found Mamdani’s statements concerning.  Why can’t he, for instance, ever talk about the Israelis and Palestinians who get along, who work together to make the country safe for everybody?  More importantly, he has to acknowledge the complexity of the issue and accept that the Jewish community needs a voice in any Israel-related policy.

Rabbi Jon Leener, of the Modern Orthodox Prospect Heights Shul in Brooklyn, told the Forward he is a “proud Zionist” and told the mayor about the experiences of Jewish New Yorkers in the climate his rhetoric has fostered.  NYPD data shows that antisemitic hate crimes have risen 8.5% this year.

The meeting, organized by the Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism, came after a sitdown with Satmar leaders last week and in anticipation of the upcoming High Holy Days.  JNS reports that neither the New York Board of Rabbis nor the Rabbinical Council of America received any notice of the meeting from the mayor’s office.

Jacobs told Forward the meeting was respectful, not heated as some public confrontations have been.  He said he urged the mayor to use his remarkable communication skills to be a unifier and not make Jewish New Yorkers feel unwelcome or in danger because of their support of Israel.

Leener said the mayor understood the seriousness of security matters, as he pushed for more police presence around synagogues. In a statement, City Hall called it an “open, positive and constructive” conversation. “Mayor Mamdani has and will continue to engage with Jewish life in New York City in order to meet the needs of our communities and reaffirm his commitment to the thriving of Jewish communities across the five boroughs.”