Private Meeting With Rabbis Puts Mamdani on Notice Over Israel Rhetoric

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani met privately Monday with 10 rabbis from Reform, Conservative, Reconstructionist and Modern Orthodox congregations at City Hall. The hourlong, closed-door session was organized by the Mayor's Office to Combat Antisemitism.

The rabbis conveyed a largely unified message: Mamdani's repeated criticism of Israel is harming Jewish New Yorkers and complicating cooperation between his administration and Jewish leaders on shared issues. According to the Forward's Jacob Kornbluh, participants urged the mayor to adjust the tone and frequency of his statements about Israel and to prioritize areas where City Hall and Jewish leaders can work together.

Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, said broad consensus existed that Mamdani's current approach was causing harm. Rabbi Rachel Timoner of Congregation Beth Elohim in Brooklyn noted that even rabbis highly critical of Israel expressed concern about the mayor's rhetoric. Rabbi Jon Leener of Prospect Heights Shul, a Modern Orthodox congregation, told Mamdani that some of his comments about Israel have heightened anxiety among Jewish New Yorkers.

Mamdani listened carefully and indicated he would consider the concerns raised, according to participants. City Hall characterized the discussion as "open, positive and constructive."

However, two major rabbinic organizations said they were not involved in organizing the meeting. The New York Board of Rabbis, representing more than 750 rabbis from various denominations in the New York area, told JNS that Mamdani's office did not contact the organization. Rabbi Etan Tokayer, president of the Rabbinic Council of America, said he was not invited.

Tokayer said he had previously written to Mamdani's Jewish liaison about reported past antisemitic comments attributed to Mamdani's wife, Rama Duwaji, and never received a response.

The mayor has also engaged other Jewish constituencies, including Hasidic Satmar leaders and progressive Jewish organizations. The outreach comes as Mamdani faces scrutiny over his positions on Israel and his response to antisemitism in New York. NYPD data cited by the Forward showed anti-Jewish hate crimes increased 8.5% during Mamdani's first seven months in office.