Mamdani's meeting with rabbis was 'open, positive, constructive,' Director of his office on Jew-hatred says

Phylisa Wisdom, executive director of the Mayor's Office to Combat Antisemitism, characterized a roundtable discussion between New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and rabbis on Monday as "an open, positive and constructive conversation."

According to Wisdom, "Mayor Mamdani met for an hour with a group of New York City rabbis from several denominations, including Reconstructionist, Reform, Conservative and Modern Orthodox, as well as unaffiliated groups." The Mayor's Office to Combat Antisemitism organized the meeting.

The discussion "focused on strategies to strengthen Jewish safety and belonging, maintain candid lines of communication and collaborate on issues where we have shared values and goals," Wisdom said. She added that "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."

The New York Board of Rabbis, which represents more than 750 rabbis across religious denominations in the New York area, and the Rabbinical Council of America both said they were not invited to the roundtable. The mayor's office was asked to provide a list of attendees.