New York City is no stranger to political firsts, but the recent election of Zohran Mamdani as the city’s next mayor has sparked a debate that stretches far beyond the five boroughs. On November 13, 2025, reports from multiple outlets including CBN, The Forward, and the New York Post chronicled a city and a nation grappling with the implications of Mamdani’s victory — a foreign-born Muslim and outspoken critic of Israel, now poised to lead America’s largest city.
The election results sent shockwaves through New York’s Jewish community, which has long played a central role in the city’s civic and political life. According to The Forward, Jewish leaders spent the final weeks of the mayoral race warning about what they described as the threat an anti-Zionist mayor could pose for Jews. Despite these efforts, Mamdani’s campaign prevailed, buoyed by grassroots support from progressive groups and a coalition of voters seeking change on issues like housing and affordability.
As the dust settles, the city’s Jewish establishment finds itself at a crossroads. Many of the largest organizations, such as UJA-Federation of New York, are now navigating how to work with an incoming administration they openly opposed. Amy Spitalnick, chief executive of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, told The Forward, “The Jewish community needs to figure out a way to work with the administration however possible.” The sentiment is echoed by others who, while skeptical, recognize the necessity of continued partnership with City Hall, especially given the millions of dollars in city funding that support Jewish social service agencies.
The source of their concern is not hard to pinpoint. Throughout his campaign and political career, Mamdani has been an outspoken supporter of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which seeks to isolate Israel economically and culturally. He has refused to recognize Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state, instead advocating for equal rights for all in the region. During a Democratic primary debate, he declined to assert Israel's right to exist in its present form, a stance that many in the Jewish community see as deeply troubling.
Controversy intensified when Mamdani, appearing on NBC’s Meet the Press, declined three times to condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada,” a slogan many interpret as a call for violence against Israel and Jews worldwide. “Ultimately, it’s not language that I use, it’s language I understand there are concerns about, and what I will do is showcase my vision for the city through my words and my actions,” Mamdani said, according to CBN.
Other incidents have fueled the unease. Mamdani posted a comedy video mocking Hanukkah and has publicly threatened to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should he visit New York City. He also labeled Israel’s war in Gaza as genocide and introduced the Not On Our Dime bill, which he said would strip tax-exempt status from nonprofits funding Israeli settler violence in the West Bank. Critics, however, argued that the bill targeted mainstream Jewish charities.
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) responded by launching the “Mamdani Monitor,” a project dedicated to tracking the new mayor’s administration. Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL CEO and National Director, stated, “Mayor-Elect Mamdani has promoted antisemitic narratives, associated with individuals who have a history of antisemitism, and demonstrated intense animosity toward the Jewish state that is counter to the views of the overwhelming majority of Jewish New Yorkers. We are deeply concerned that those individuals and principles will influence his administration at a time when we are tracking a brazen surge of harassment, vandalism and violence targeting Jewish residents and institutions in recent years.”
Yet, not all Jewish groups are unified in opposition. Progressive organizations such as Jews for Racial and Economic Justice (JFREJ) actively supported Mamdani’s campaign. Audrey Sasson, JFREJ’s executive director, told The Forward, “I genuinely want to be like, ‘The water is warm — just come on in!’ It’s actually going to be so awesome.” Hundreds of JFREJ members volunteered for Mamdani, and the group now envisions a level of influence in city affairs previously out of reach.
For mainstream Jewish organizations, the challenge is clear: how to balance principled opposition to Mamdani’s Israel policies with the practical need to work together on other issues. Hindy Poupko, UJA-Federation’s senior vice president of community strategy and external relations, captured the dilemma: “The question is really for mayor-elect Mamdani: how is he going to work with us? He needs to demonstrate through actions and not just words that he will protect Jewish New Yorkers and that he will not seek to weaponize City Hall in an effort to demonize the State of Israel.”
There are reasons for cautious optimism. Mamdani’s transition team includes seasoned veterans of New York government, with ties to previous administrations and longstanding relationships with many Jewish organizations. Poupko noted, “Our agencies will continue to work with relevant city agencies that they need to advance their priorities. We will continue our close partnership with NYPD to ensure that Jewish communities are safe, and at the same time, we will continue to make our values and priorities clear.”
Meanwhile, the mechanics of the transition are underway. The New York Post reported that Mamdani’s transition team met with outgoing Mayor Eric Adams’ administration this week to begin the formal transfer of power. Adams, who had issued dire warnings about Mamdani before Election Day, nonetheless promised a smooth handover. “Bill de Blasio handed me the baton of dealing with these issues, and I’m going to hand the baton over to Zohran,” Adams said. Despite this, Adams’ last-minute decisions — such as his move on Elizabeth Street, which Mamdani said would make it “nearly impossible” to build affordable housing there — have already created hurdles for the new mayor. Still, Mamdani praised the outgoing mayor’s team as “collaborative” during the transition, and both sides signaled a willingness to work together for the good of the city.
Outside New York, Mamdani’s election is being watched as a bellwether for the future of Muslim and progressive participation in American politics. On CBN’s The Global Lane, religion and culture expert Alex McFarland warned about what he described as growing Islamist influence in U.S. politics and raised concerns about the spread of sharia law in places like Texas. While such warnings are not new, Mamdani’s victory has given them renewed urgency among conservative commentators.
For now, Mamdani insists his focus as mayor will be on local issues: making New York safe and affordable for all its residents. He has promised an eightfold increase in city funding for anti-hate crime initiatives, including security grants for houses of worship. Whether he can bridge the divide with skeptical Jewish leaders — and reassure a city on edge — remains to be seen. As Sara Forman of the New York Solidarity Network put it, “A lot of Jews in New York are now awake. We need to have more participation. And I think we’re going to get it.”
As New York embarks on this new chapter, the city’s future will be shaped not just by its new mayor, but by how its diverse communities choose to engage, challenge, and ultimately work together.
