New AJC regional director looks to business community for allies in Mamdani's New York

Andrew Gross began his position as the American Jewish Committee's New York regional director drawing on past experience responding to antisemitic violence. He recalled the December 2019 attack on a Jersey City kosher supermarket that killed three employees, an incident he witnessed while serving as executive director of the New Jersey-Israel Commission. "I remember seeing the bullet casings and glass fragments on the ground," Gross said. "As I do my job here at the AJC, Im going to work with everyone to make sure that exact type of scenario does not happen again."

Gross plans to build coalitions spanning the NYPD, City Council Speaker Julie Menin, Jewish and non-Jewish civic organizations, and international partners. He also intends to use experience from his work at the New Jersey Economic Development Authority to strengthen ties between the AJC and New York City's business leaders, arguing that Jewish and business communities share concerns about the city's Democratic Socialists of America branch.

"They seem to have a serious issue with capitalism, and they seem to have a serious issue with the West and how the West has developed its economy," Gross said, noting historical persecution of Soviet Jews. "When you attack free markets, and you attack capitalism, and you attack the ability of business owners to succeed, that usually comes with very troubled waters for Jewish people."

His approach parallels efforts by former Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, who now leads the Partnership for New York City business advocacy group and has prioritized combating antisemitism. Gross praised this focus and said the AJC would deepen its work with the city's business community.

While declaring intent to "push back" Against Mayor Zohran Mamdani and DSA allies over what he called their "unreasonably hostile" Stance toward Israel, Gross expressed openness to improved relations if the mayor would "tone down" His rhetoric. "Jewish values tell us that people deserve to be given a second chance," He said.

Gross cited Mamdani's selective criticism of Israel, the mayor's international affairs commissioner meeting with Iran's UN representative, and rising antisemitic hate crimes during Mamdani's tenure as concerns. He argued such rhetoric is causing Jewish New Yorkers to retreat from their identity and noted the anti-Zionist Jewish figures the mayor has elevated are not representative of the broader community.