After Zohran Mamdani’s historic win in the New York City mayoral race, Jewish New Yorkers have had a lot of different reactions. Mamdani’s progressive platform and controversial views on Israel have made some Jews happy and some worried.
Senator Chuck Schumer, a prominent Jewish Democrat, didn’t publicly support Mamdani. However, he did congratulate the new mayor after a productive talk about the city’s future and working together. This shows how complicated Jewish voters’ feelings are. They usually back Democrats, but this election they were split.
Early exit polls show that about 64% of Jewish voters backed former Governor Andrew Cuomo. Meanwhile, almost a third backed Mamdani. Many younger Jewish voters chose to vote for Mamdani because of his policies on housing, affordability, and governance. This happened even though influential rabbis and Jewish groups told them not to because of his views on Israel.
Mamdani has promised to work closely with rabbis and Jewish leaders to protect the community and celebrate it. However, some people, like Alana Zeitchik from Brooklyn, are not sure he can build a strong alliance against hate and antisemitism.
Jewish voters are worried about the mayor-elect’s controversial support for the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement. They are also concerned about what he said regarding Israel’s identity. Mamdani has tried to reassure the community by going to public events and synagogue events.
Jewish groups like the Anti-Defamation League have set up monitoring programs to keep an eye on Mamdani’s policies. This shows how important it is to be on the lookout for antisemitism in New York City. Billionaire Bill Ackman, on the other hand, sent a conciliatory message, recognizing Mamdani’s duty to the city’s health.
As Mamdani gets ready to run New York City, the Jewish community is cautiously hopeful. They want a balanced approach that deals with both local issues and bigger social problems.
