We want to thank Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman (who is also running for governor of New York) and Assemblyman Michael Novakhov, who took a firm and principled stand against antisemitism in Brooklyn’s heavily Jewish Brighton Beach community.
Such displays of political courage – in the face of the growing antisemitic zeitgeist, especially in New York City – are rarer these days. After learning that Uzbek singer Yulduz Usmanova was scheduled to appear in the heart of one of America’s largest Jewish neighborhoods, Novakhov and Blakeman, among a few other leaders and elected officials, made sure the venue rescinded her invitation.
In 2021, Usmanova had publicly declared, “May the Almighty rain down all misfortunes upon your heads, Jews! May all horrors continue upon all your descendants, future generations.” Those are not vague political statements but hateful remarks aimed directly at Jews as a people. Any serious leader has an obligation to respond accordingly. Unfortunately, many did not.
These elected officials organized a broad public campaign that included a bipartisan letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio urging federal action, a public press conference, and outreach to community members who felt outraged that such a performer would appear in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, home to thousands of Russian Jews. Ther message was clear: Hatred toward Jews should never become a political football.
(We should also note the painful symbolism surrounding the timing of the planned concert, which was scheduled around Victory Day commemorations marking the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. As Novakhov’s office correctly noted, allowing a performer associated with antisemitic rhetoric to headline an event tied to that historical moment would have been especially offensive.)
The eventual cancellation of the Brooklyn performance sent an important message: antisemitism still carries consequences, and at least some public officials are willing to defend their communities when necessary.