To All NYC Mayoral Candidates:
As proud members of one of the largest and most vibrant Jewish communities in the world, we write at a time of deep pain and rising fear in the city we call home.
But New York City is more than our home, it is the global capital of Jewish life outside Israel. From the Lower East Side to Brighton Beach, generations of Jewish families have built lives here, raising children, opening businesses, building hospitals and academic institutions, feeding the hungry, welcoming waves of immigrants, fighting for civil and labor rights, and working for a better future for all New Yorkers.
We are a community that spans every race, ethnicity, denomination, and political view. We are progressive and conservative, religious and secular, immigrants and fifth-generation New Yorkers.
We are united by our commitment to this city and to our neighbors. As you seek the privilege of leading New York, we ask you to understand what this city means to us, and what we expect from its leaders.
We are deeply concerned by the rise in antisemitism across our city and by the failure of some leaders to speak clearly when Jewish New Yorkers are targeted. We are alarmed when Jews are treated as political abstractions, and when Jewish identity, especially Zionism, is distorted or demonized.
Let us be clear: disagreement with Israeli policies is not antisemitism. We, too, hold a range of views. But denying the Jewish people’s right to self-determination in our ancestral homeland, excusing attacks on Jews, or aligning with movements that glorify violence erodes trust and safety.
If you seek to represent all New Yorkers, we urge you to:
- Speak out unequivocally against antisemitic violence and rhetoric and reject slogans or movements that glorify violence against Jews.
- Protect Jewish communal life through strong and continued NYPD protection and support for synagogues, schools, institutions.
- Engage a broad spectrum of Jewish voices, including Zionists, Orthodox, and Israeli-Americans.
- Oppose the Boycott Divestment Sanctions (BDS) movement, which seeks to delegitimize Israel and fuels local hostility.
- Recognize Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, and the ancestral homeland of the Jewish people.
Leadership means representing all New Yorkers, including Jews, with the same rights, safety, and dignity as every other group. We ask you to rise to this moment, and lead with integrity, and moral clarity that this city, and its Jewish community, deserves.
Signed: