What does the mayorship of Zohran Mamdani mean for Jews?
On January first, Zohran Mamdani, with his hand on a Quran, was sworn into office as the mayor of New York City. According to JPPI’s Voice of the Jewish People Index for November, following Mamdani’s victory in the election, a majority of American Jews expressed concern and the belief that with his election New York’s Jewish population is less safe than it was before. In just the first few days of his mayorship, Mamdani has made several changes in New York in regards to Jewry.
One of the mayor’s first acts in office was to revoke and tweak executive orders made by his predecessor, Mayor Eric Adams. Some of these revoked executive orders had to do with Judaism, the State of Israel, or antisemitism. One such order by former Mayor Adams had New York City adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of Zionism: “Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.” Alongside the definition was a slew of examples of possible manifestations of antisemitism, including “calling for, aiding, or justifying the killing or harming of Jews,” “claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor,” and “holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the state of Israel.” With the revoking of this executive order, there is currently no official definition of antisemitism in New York City.
Another executive order that Zohran Mamdani overturned was Executive Order 60, barring any “agency heads, agency chief contracting officers, and any other Mayoral appointees with discretion over contracting” from engaging with BDS against Israel, or the “calls to boycott, divest from, and sanction the State of Israel.” This was done with “economic and social ties” in mind. As the executive order acknowledged, “the City of New York is home to the largest Jewish community outside of the State of Israel, maintaining deep-seated ties to Israel rooted in decades of economic and social cooperation.” Executive Order 60 enabled disciplinary action against agency employees who engaged with BDS or discriminated against the State of Israel or Israelis. Mayor Zohran Mamdani rescinded this executive order, which aimed to protect Israeli people and a country with “strong economic and social ties with the City of New York.”
However, one major change by Mayor Eric Adams in regards to the Jewry of New York City was not removed by the new mayor. Specifically, Mamdani issued an executive order that maintained the Office to Combat Antisemitism that Adams had instituted in May. In Mamdani’s Executive Order 02, section thirteen is titled, “Office to Combat Antisemitism,” and outlines the office in the same way Adams’s Executive Order 51 did.
However, Mamdani’s order has one significant difference from Adams’s, specifically the omission of a crucial line in Adams’s outlining of the office:
“The Office will also monitor court cases and outcomes at all levels of the justice system, liaise with the New York City Law Department on appropriate cases to bring or join, and work across agencies to address incidents and ensure New Yorkers feel protected.” The reasons behind this alteration of the office’s mission has not been stated. In addition to this alteration, the original document outlining the office, Eric Adam’s Executive Order 51, had a list of “WHEREAS” clauses, outlining the reasoning for and intention behind the order. In Mamdani’s these reasons are absent.
Zohran Mamdani made a promise to the people of New York City. “I will protect you,” Mamdani said in his inaugural address. He painted an image of the city that he imagines, with his supporters who are incredibly diverse. He promises them all protection. Yet, with the revocation of Adam’s executive orders aimed at protecting Jews, and the significant alteration of the Office to Combat Antisemitism, Mamdani shows a different picture. He tells a different story than the one he promised, where his supporters “will pray in mosques, at shul, at church, at Gurdwaras and Mandirs and temples.”
New York City is home to the largest population of Jews outside of the State of Israel. The decisions of Mayor Mamdani impact Jews in NYC and reflect broader trends of antisemitism, specifically trends to boycott and divest the only Jewish state. The reasons given for decisions are never given as clear cut as antisemitic beliefs. But eliminating a definition of antisemitism that highlights the key difference between the actions performed by the State of Israel and all Jews muddies that message. Does Zohran Mamdani believe that engaging with BDS against the State of Israel is not antisemitism because it’s not an attack on Jews but on a state? And if so, why did he remove the definition of Antisemitism that makes that clear? In addition, eliminating the clause in an executive order that allows the Office to Combat Antisemitism to monitor the judicial system to “address incidents and ensure New Yorkers feel protected” shows another side. With a broad rise in Antisemetic sentiment, many Jews may wonder what the reasoning behind that decision was.
“Where else could a Muslim kid like me grow up eating bagels and lox every Sunday?” asked Zohran Mamdani during his inaugural address. He asked the question rhetorically to highlight New York City’s diversity and inclusivity. To live up to his promise of a New York for all New Yorkers, Mamdani will need to protect the Jewish population despite his revocations and modifications of protective executive orders issued by former mayor Eric Adams.
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