By: Fern Sidman

The election of Zohran Mamdani, a far-left Democratic Socialist and outspoken critic of Israel, as New York City’s next mayor has sent shockwaves through the city’s Jewish community — igniting both anxiety and action among religious and communal leaders. As World Israel News reported on Wednesday, one of the most striking responses came from Rabbi Marc Schneier, the founding rabbi of The Hampton Synagogue in Westhampton Beach, who announced plans to establish what he called “the first Jewish day school in the Hamptons.”

In a statement posted on X shortly after the election results were confirmed, Rabbi Schneier declared that the initiative was being launched to accommodate “the thousands of Jewish families that will flock to the Hamptons and greater Suffolk County to escape the antisemitic climate of Mamdani’s New York City.” The project, which is reportedly already in motion, underscores the growing unease among New York’s Jewish residents about the direction of the city under an administration many perceive as hostile to Israel and dismissive of antisemitism.

According to the information provided in the World Israel News report, Schneier’s announcement reflects a wider sentiment of apprehension among Jewish leaders, philanthropists, and institutions, many of whom fear that Mamdani’s election marks the beginning of a dangerous new era for Jewish life in New York — a city long regarded as a global center of Jewish culture, commerce, and political influence.

For decades, New York City has been home to the largest Jewish population outside of Israel, with over 1.6 million Jews living across the five boroughs. But in the wake of Mamdani’s victory — a candidate who has refused to condemn the slogan “globalize the intifada,” supports the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, and regularly refers to Israel as an “apartheid state” — leaders like Schneier say the sense of security Jewish New Yorkers once felt has been shattered.

“Jewish life in New York has always thrived because this city, for all its challenges, was a place of freedom and safety,” Rabbi Schneier told World Israel News in remarks following his post. “But now, many Jewish families feel abandoned — not just politically, but morally.”

The proposed Jewish day school, which would serve families relocating to eastern Long Island, has quickly become more than an educational venture; it has become a symbol of resistance and renewal. As the World Israel News report noted, the school is expected to function as both an academic institution and a community hub for families seeking refuge from what Schneier described as “the metastasizing antisemitism of the new political order in New York.”

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), the nation’s oldest Jewish civil rights organization, expressed similarly grave concerns about Mamdani’s ascent to power.

“In light of Mayor-elect Mamdani’s long, disturbing record on issues of deep concern to the Jewish community, we will approach the next four years with resolve,” said Jonathan Greenblatt, the ADL’s CEO, in a statement cited by World Israel News. “We will neither compromise nor relent in our pursuit of our core purpose — to protect the Jewish people.”

Throughout the campaign, tensions between Mamdani and the ADL grew increasingly bitter. As the World Israel News report documented, the organization accused him of minimizing antisemitic incidents that erupted during anti-Israel protests in New York following the Gaza conflict, and of excusing hate speech under the guise of “political dissent.”

Mamdani’s campaign, in turn, dismissed the ADL’s criticism as politically motivated and claimed that Greenblatt’s organization was “weaponizing accusations of antisemitism to silence Palestinian solidarity.”

For Jewish New Yorkers, however, the stakes are far more personal. In interviews with World Israel News, several community leaders described a pervasive sense of dread. “This is not about politics anymore,” one Brooklyn rabbi said. “It’s about whether our children will be safe wearing a Star of David on the subway, or whether Jewish schools will need armed guards.”

Mamdani’s victory — achieved by defeating former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who ran as an Independent, and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa — was hailed by progressives as a triumph for diversity and inclusion. Yet, as the World Israel News report called attention to, his long record of anti-Israel rhetoric has alienated vast swaths of the Jewish electorate, particularly among moderates and Orthodox communities.

The new mayor has long aligned himself with radical left-wing groups that call for the dismantling of the Jewish state. He has spoken at rallies where chants of “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” echoed — a slogan widely interpreted as a call for the elimination of Israel.

During his campaign, Mamdani promised to “rethink the city’s relationship with foreign governments complicit in oppression,” a remark that many interpreted as a veiled reference to cutting municipal partnerships with Israeli institutions. His critics see this as part of a broader pattern of using municipal office to advance anti-Israel policy agendas.

As World Israel News reported, the ADL has vowed to hold Mamdani accountable for any signs of bias in city governance, particularly concerning Jewish schools, cultural organizations, and community security funding. “We will be relentless and unyielding,” Greenblatt affirmed, “in pressing this administration to take a firm stance against antisemitism and to safeguard Jewish life in the city.”

For many Jewish families, however, those assurances may come too late. Real estate agents in Long Island and Westchester told World Israel News they have already seen a sharp uptick in inquiries from Jewish New Yorkers looking to relocate. “We’ve had dozens of calls in the last 48 hours,” one broker said. “People are scared — they’re talking about antisemitism, safety, and wanting to be part of a community that feels protected.”

The Hamptons, long regarded as a summer enclave for New York’s Jewish elite, may now become an unlikely refuge for permanent relocation. Rabbi Schneier’s planned day school, according to the report at World Israel News, aims to provide “not just education, but continuity — a place for Jewish families to rebuild their sense of belonging.”

Community advocates warn that the exodus could have profound implications for the fabric of New York itself. “Losing Jewish families — their institutions, their philanthropy, their presence — would fundamentally change the moral and cultural DNA of this city,” one Jewish civic leader told World Israel News. “If the Mamdani administration alienates these communities, the consequences will be felt for generations.”

The Jewish reaction to Mamdani’s win is not uniform. A small but vocal minority of progressive Jewish groups — including some aligned with Jewish Voice for Peace — have celebrated his victory as a sign of political pluralism. Yet, as the World Israel News report observed, this faction represents only a sliver of the city’s broader Jewish demographic, most of whom see Mamdani as emblematic of a broader surge in left-wing antisemitism that has swept through Western institutions since the 2023 Gaza war.

In the words of Rabbi Schneier, “This election has drawn a line in the sand. There are those who believe Jewish life and Zionism can coexist with the new left — and there are those of us who have seen enough to know otherwise.”

As the dust settles from Mamdani’s stunning electoral victory, Jewish New Yorkers find themselves facing an existential question: what does it mean to remain in a city whose leadership appears indifferent — or even hostile — to their concerns?

The World Israel News made a stark observation: Mamdani’s election has not only reshaped New York’s political future, but it has also exposed a deep fracture within the city’s soul.

In Rabbi Schneier’s words, the establishment of the Hamptons’ first Jewish day school is not merely about geography — it is about survival. “We’re not leaving New York out of fear,” he said. “We’re creating new sanctuaries out of faith.”

As Mamdani prepares to take office, those words resonate as both an indictment and a warning: New York’s Jewish community — long a cornerstone of its civic and moral strength — may soon become a diaspora within its own city.