The text arrived shortly after Zohran Mamdani’s victory in the mayoral election – a direct message from the mayor-elect himself. A sense of duty compelled me to respond, born from respect for his new office and a deep concern for the city’s future.
Our first, lengthy conversation unfolded in the aftermath of a disturbing night. A violent demonstration had erupted outside my father’s synagogue, Park East, and it wasn’t a political disagreement playing out in the streets. It was a deliberate, menacing act, a targeted intimidation of the Jewish community, unfolding at the very doors of a sacred space.
That initial call sparked an ongoing dialogue, grappling with fundamental questions: Where does New York City draw the line? How does it safeguard its houses of worship? What does true leadership look like when fear threatens the sanctity of belief?
We held differing views, most notably on the essential recognition of Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state. The mayor’s past rhetoric – the use of terms like “apartheid,” “occupation,” and “genocide” – had deeply troubled me, creating a climate where New York’s Jewish community felt vulnerable. I conveyed, as I do to Muslim leaders, that anti-Zionism often serves as a gateway to antisemitism.
I urged him to champion legislation creating protected zones around all houses of worship. This wasn’t about suppressing free speech, but about establishing a clear boundary between the right to protest and the right to worship without fear. To his credit, he listened intently.
Our discussions yielded tangible results. The mayor’s second executive order directed the NYPD to review its patrol guidance, prioritizing clearer protections for synagogues, churches, and mosques. It proposed buffer zones – ranging from fifteen to sixty feet – during religious services and even during non-religious activities.
This was a significant step forward. The mayor acknowledged the growing anxiety within Jewish communities across New York – the understanding that targeting houses of worship crossed a dangerous line.
When a pro-Hamas protest was planned in Queens, the mayor acted decisively. Hours before the demonstration began, he deployed a substantial police presence to safeguard nearby synagogues, Jewish schools, and families. This proactive approach demonstrated that principled disagreement didn’t preclude responsible action.
In a statement, Mayor Mamdani declared that “chants in support of a terrorist organization have no place in our city.” This felt like a crucial acknowledgment – a recognition that past rhetoric, hesitation, and intimidation during protests, including those he had attended, were unacceptable.
His condemnation of the protesters and the terrorist organization likely came at a political cost, drawing criticism from some progressive activists and members of the Democratic Socialists of America. That reality, the potential for backlash against standing against hate, should deeply concern every New Yorker.
Rejecting terrorism and antisemitism should never be a controversial stance in America. While I am grateful for this shift, it doesn’t erase our disagreements. The mayor has taken a step in the right direction, and is now advocating for a bill with Governor Hochul to establish a 25-foot protest-free zone around houses of worship.
Perhaps we are witnessing a genuine evolution in the mayor’s understanding of Israel and the impact of anti-Israel rhetoric on New York City’s Jewish community, the largest in the world outside of Israel. True transformation, however, requires more than just a change of heart; it demands contrition, confession, and sustained change.
The next crucial step will be for Mayor Mamdani to engage with global Muslim leaders – individuals I’ve worked with for decades – who, despite disagreements with Israeli policies, unequivocally recognize Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish nation. These voices represent the possibility of coexistence, not the fuel for incitement.
Now, as mayor of all New Yorkers, he must fully grasp that Israel is inextricably linked to the core of the Jewish faith. One cannot separate the two; they are fundamentally intertwined.
