By: Arthur Popowitz

In the aftermath of Zohran Mamdani’s stunning rise to power as New York City’s first self-proclaimed Democratic Socialist mayor—and the first with a long record of anti-Israel rhetoric—Jewish leaders across the nation are sounding the alarm. The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, representing a broad coalition of the Jewish communal establishment, released a starkly worded statement on Wednesday describing Mamdani’s election as “a grim milestone” in American Jewish life.

As reported by The Jewish News Syndicate (JNS) on Wednesday, the Conference’s leadership—CEO William Daroff and Chair Betsy Berns Korn—warned that the victory of a man “whose record and rhetoric reflect hostility toward Israel and the Jewish people” represents a disturbing turning point for the city that has long been considered a bastion of Jewish security and influence.

“The city with the United States’ largest Jewish population will now be led by a man whose record and rhetoric reflect hostility toward Israel and the Jewish people,” the statement read. “Zohran Mamdani’s elevation to Gracie Mansion reminds us that antisemitism remains a clear and present danger, even in the places where American Jews have long felt most secure.”

The JNS report described the Conference’s reaction as “a sober reflection of communal unease,” capturing the tension coursing through Jewish neighborhoods from Borough Park to Riverdale. For many Jewish leaders, the political earthquake represented by Mamdani’s victory underscores not only a shift in New York’s ideological landscape but also the emboldening of figures who have, in their words, “normalized anti-Israel sentiment as acceptable progressive politics.”

JNS has extensively documented Mamdani’s record in the New York State Assembly, where he repeatedly condemned Israel’s defensive military operations in Gaza and aligned himself with the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), an organization that has openly supported the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement. His refusal to denounce chants of “globalize the intifada” at public rallies, coupled with his claim that Israel is committing “genocide” in Gaza, alienated much of the Jewish electorate.

While Mamdani’s campaign attempted to frame his rhetoric as “human rights advocacy,” the city’s Jewish establishment saw something darker: the mainstreaming of language that, as the JNS report noted, has long served as a euphemism for the destruction of the Jewish state.

“The notion that the same city which once elected Ed Koch and Michael Bloomberg could now elevate a figure who has vilified Israel and excused anti-Zionist hostility is profoundly unsettling,” said one senior communal official quoted in JNS report. “This is not simply about politics—it’s about the safety and dignity of Jewish life in the world’s most Jewish city outside of Israel.”

For decades, New York has been a symbol of Jewish vitality in the diaspora—a place where Jewish identity could flourish openly, intertwined with the civic life of the metropolis. But as the JNS report noted in its analysis, the election of Mamdani, a figure who has built his political identity on opposition to Israel and skepticism toward Jewish communal power, threatens to erode that historic sense of belonging.

The Conference of Presidents’ statement captured this anxiety with striking directness:

“There can be no compromise with an ideology that demonizes or ostracizes Jews and Israelis. Our response to this ominous moment will be to strengthen activism, advocacy and coordination across New York’s Jewish communities, ensuring that every institution and family feels supported and protected.”

The organization, according to the JNS report, is preparing to convene an emergency summit of Jewish leaders, philanthropists, and civic partners to discuss security, advocacy, and the preservation of Jewish representation in city governance under the new administration.

In its statement, the Conference of Presidents called on all levels of government to exhibit “moral clarity and decisive action” in combating antisemitism—words that, according to the JNS report, were chosen deliberately to signal that communal patience has run out.

For months, Jewish leaders have warned that the growing fusion of far-left radicalism and anti-Israel activism—often expressed in “intersectional” rhetoric that portrays Israel as a colonial oppressor—has created a new and dangerous environment. JNS has tracked this trend, noting that it now pervades not only city politics but also universities, labor unions, and social movements.

Mamdani’s victory, in their view, is not an isolated event but part of a broader ideological wave that threatens to redefine acceptable political discourse in New York. “The danger,” one source told JNS, “is that anti-Zionism has become a form of social currency among the city’s progressive elite. The more extreme your rhetoric against Israel, the more credibility you seem to earn.”

For the city’s 1.6 million Jews, Mamdani’s triumph lands amid a sharp rise in antisemitic incidents. JNS recently reported that the NYPD documented a 38% increase in anti-Jewish hate crimes over the past year, including assaults, vandalism, and harassment tied to campus protests and social media campaigns targeting Jewish organizations.

In this volatile environment, the symbolic impact of electing a mayor with a record of inflammatory statements cannot be overstated. Jewish leaders fear that Mamdani’s administration may embolden activists who blur the line between political protest and bigotry.

William Daroff, the Conference of Presidents’ CEO, framed the challenge bluntly in remarks to JNS: “This is not the time for hesitation or denial. We must confront antisemitism wherever it appears—whether it wears a red armband or a progressive badge.”

Still, even amid unease, there is determination. The Conference’s statement ends not in despair but in a call to action—a theme echoed JNS in its editorial coverage. The emphasis, both moral and strategic, is on strengthening communal cohesion, deepening alliances with non-Jewish partners, and reasserting the legitimacy of Jewish self-defense and advocacy.

“Our response,” the Conference wrote, “will be to strengthen activism, advocacy and coordination across New York’s Jewish communities, ensuring that every institution and family feels supported and protected.”

That renewed activism, JNS reported, will likely focus on three key fronts: expanding community security initiatives, intensifying outreach to civic allies, and reinforcing Jewish education to combat the spread of anti-Israel misinformation.

In the words of one longtime communal leader quoted by JNS, “This is a moment for courage—not fear. The Jewish community has faced darker hours and emerged stronger. But we cannot afford complacency. The forces of extremism are organized and emboldened. We must be even more so.”

As New York prepares to inaugurate Zohran Mamdani on January 1, many in the Jewish community are grappling with what his victory reveals about the city’s evolving political identity. The JNS report captured the mood succinctly: a mix of apprehension, defiance, and resolve.

For decades, New York’s mayors—Democrat and Republican alike—have proclaimed solidarity with Israel and the Jewish people as a moral and civic constant. Now, for the first time, that consensus appears broken.

Whether the city that once stood as a beacon of Jewish freedom will remain so may depend not on the words of its new mayor, but on the vigilance of those who refuse to let the light d