The upcoming New York City mayoral election has become a flashpoint for deep-seated tensions within the city’s Jewish community, as generational divides, political allegiances, and questions of identity converge in the candidacy of Zohran Mamdani. At just 34 years old, Mamdani, a Democratic socialist and state assemblyman from Queens, has not only won the Democratic primary but also ignited a fierce debate over what it means to be Jewish in New York—and what role Israel should play in that definition, especially as the city grapples with its own complex realities.
According to CNN, Norman Nidlman, a 77-year-old Jewish resident of Manhattan’s Upper West Side, summed up the dilemma many face: “If I try to bend that far, I’ll break.” For Nidlman and others, Mamdani’s progressive platform—promising to tackle rent hikes, increase affordability, and oppose former President Donald Trump—offers hope for the city’s social problems. Yet, his positions on Israel and his refusal to unequivocally condemn antisemitism have made this race, in Nidlman’s words, “painful.”
The fissures within the Jewish community have only widened as the campaign has progressed. On October 18, 2025, Rabbi Elliot Kosgrover of Park Avenue Synagogue delivered a stark warning to his congregation: “To be clear, unequivocal and on the record: I believe Zohran Mamdani poses a threat to the safety of the Jewish community of New York.” This warning echoed far beyond his own synagogue. Over 1,100 rabbis and Jewish leaders across the United States signed an open letter supporting Kosgrover’s stance, urging Americans to “stand with candidates who reject antisemitic and anti-Israel rhetoric.”
But not all Jewish leaders are in agreement. As reported by JTA, more than 200 rabbis—including at least 40 based in or near New York City—signed a second letter, charging that the first was itself divisive. This split, which has played out in public letters and private conversations, reflects a broader generational divide. Polls by The Washington Post reveal that while 56% of Jewish Americans feel an emotional connection to Israel, that number drops to just 36% among those aged 18 to 34. Ezra Klein, writing in The New York Times, noted, “This is a tense time in Jewish family chats.”
Recent polling data paints a complicated picture for Mamdani’s campaign. According to Fox News and Marist surveys conducted in late October and early November 2025, 55% of likely Jewish voters in New York City now support former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who is running as an independent after losing the Democratic primary, while Mamdani garners about 32% support among Jewish voters. The issue of Israel, it seems, is a decisive factor for many.
Rabbi Angela Buchdahl, one of New York’s most prominent spiritual leaders, addressed these tensions head-on in a sermon at Manhattan’s Central Synagogue on November 1, 2025. “I fear living in a city, and a nation, where anti-Zionist rhetoric is normalized and contagious,” Buchdahl told her congregation. She specifically cited Mamdani’s 2023 remark—recently resurfaced—linking the New York Police Department’s policing tactics to the Israeli Defense Forces, as well as his past reluctance to label Hamas a terrorist group. “Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani has contributed to a mainstreaming of some of the most abhorrent antisemitism,” she said.
Despite her strong words, Buchdahl has steadfastly refused to endorse or oppose any candidate, citing both Central Synagogue’s policy and the federal Johnson Amendment, which prohibits political campaigning by religious institutions. “Once a rabbi can tell you how to vote, imagine donations being given, or withheld, in exchange for a rabbi’s thumb on the scale,” she explained. Buchdahl’s refusal to take a political stand has brought its own share of criticism, even from within her congregation, but she remains committed to speaking out on “moral issues that unfold in the political realm,” regardless of partisanship.
In her sermon, Buchdahl drew on the Torah portion Lech Lecha, likening the community’s current uncertainty to Abraham and Sarah’s journey into the unknown. She also invoked Israeli writer Yossi Klein Halevi’s metaphor of “Purim Jews”—those who prioritize vigilance and self-protection—and “Passover Jews,” who emphasize empathy and justice. “Both memories are sacred, and both are necessary,” she said. “Compassion without caution is reckless naïveté; vigilance without empathy is paranoia or despair.”
For Mamdani, the scrutiny has been intense. After the events of October 7, 2023, he issued a statement criticizing Israel’s actions as “genocide” but did not condemn Hamas or the attacks themselves. He further expressed an intention to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, should he visit New York, citing the International Criminal Court’s warrant. Earlier this week, a video from September 2023 surfaced in which Mamdani linked oppression in the NYPD to the Israeli Defense Forces, drawing sharp criticism from both journalists and Jewish leaders.
Yet Mamdani has also made efforts to reach out. During Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur in 2025, he attended services at Kolot Chayeinu in Brooklyn and at Lab Shul, meeting with Jewish leaders and promising to maintain police protection for the annual Israel Day Parade. “I will have people in my administration who are Zionists,” he assured. He has also pledged to “understand the views of those with whom I disagree, and to think deeply about these differences.”
The debate is hardly one-sided. Younger liberal Jews, like Sydney Schwartz—a Democrat with experience living in Israel—say they feel a strong connection to the country but don’t support its current policies or those of Prime Minister Netanyahu. “I want to focus on the city where I live,” Schwartz explained, echoing the sentiment of many who see the mayoral race as about more than just foreign policy.
Opponents of Mamdani, such as Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa, offer alternative visions for the city, but each has their own critics and supporters within the Jewish community. As Filisa Vizdom observed, “People are thinking aloud.” The old joke, “Two Jews—three opinions,” seems to capture the moment perfectly.
Buchdahl, meanwhile, warned that internal divisions could prove more damaging than any external threat. “Both Temples were destroyed because of senseless hate,” she reminded her congregation. “We can argue robustly and should. But disputation does not require defamation.” She expressed hope, too, drawing on conversations with Jewish students at Yale, Brandeis, and Harvard who “don’t want to be defined by fear.” Instead, they want “a Jewish community where disagreement doesn’t mean disconnection.”
As New York heads toward its pivotal mayoral election, the city’s Jewish community stands at a crossroads, grappling with questions of identity, belonging, and the future. The outcome will shape not only the city’s leadership but also the tone and direction of one of its most vibrant and diverse communities.