By: Fern Sidman

Queens Assemblyman and Democratic Socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani is facing mounting backlash from Jewish organizations and community members after resurfaced social media posts showed him sharing what critics call a “mockery” of Hanukkah traditions through a parody video last year. As reported on Sunday by The New York Post, the controversy is deepening tensions between Mamdani’s campaign and New York’s sizable Jewish electorate at a time when religious sensitivities have been sharpened by recent global and local events.

Zohran Mamdani posts Indian men cosplaying Jews, spinning dreidels and lighting the menorah.

Our holidays and traditions are sacred and not for your comedic pleasure @ZohranKMamdani – this is sick. pic.twitter.com/iOn4LFftjX

— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) July 5, 2025

The video, posted to Mamdani’s X account during last year’s Hanukkah celebrations, features two South Asian men in wigs dancing around a menorah, spinning dreidels, and celebrating to a Punjabi beat. The song, titled “Hey Hannukah,” was created by the Geeta Brothers Duet Group, a comedic side project of Sikh-Canadian musician Jus Reign.

Though intended as cultural parody, the video has triggered outrage among Jewish advocacy groups, who say Mamdani’s promotion of the content reflects insensitivity toward sacred Jewish rituals.

“Our holidays and traditions are sacred and not for your comedic pleasure @ZohranKMamdani — this is sick,” the advocacy group Stop Antisemitism posted to X on Saturday, along with the video clip.

The group accused Mamdani of “cosplaying Jews” and turning a solemn, millennia-old tradition into “campy comedic content” that disrespects the sanctity of Jewish religious observance.

The incident is not isolated. As The New York Post report uncovered, Mamdani also shared a similar video on Christmas Eve 2024, promoting the same comedy group’s “Jingle Bells” parody, in which the performers again wear exaggerated wigs and dance in a similarly flamboyant style.

“Wishing you all a very merry Christmas from Astoria and Long Island City,” Mamdani captioned the Christmas Eve post.

While both videos were apparently meant to be playful holiday greetings, critics say that equating cultural parody with religious tradition — particularly from a mayoral candidate seeking to represent one of the most diverse cities in the world — demonstrates a dangerous lack of judgment.

“Mockery disguised as multiculturalism is still mockery,” one Jewish community leader told The New York Post. “Would he have posted a video with people dressed up as Sikhs or Muslims lighting candles for Eid or Diwali?”

The Hanukkah video is only the latest episode in a growing catalogue of incidents that have sparked concern among Jewish voters and leaders about Mamdani’s stance on religious and geopolitical issues. As The New York Post has reported, Mamdani has drawn criticism in recent years for refusing to affirm Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state, a position that has increasingly alienated both moderate Democrats and the city’s sizable Jewish population.

Further fueling the controversy, some New Yorkers reported receiving pro-Mamdani campaign text messages that appeared to politicize the October 7th Hamas massacre in Israel. The messages invoked the murder of an Israeli man at the Re’im music festival and claimed, “Idan believed in peace, just like Zohran does.”

One version of the message, shared with The New York Post, read: “My friend Idan was murdered on October 7 at the Re’im music festival. The war is personal to me, as it is to many others in our community. Idan believed in peace, just like Zohran does.”

The source of the messages remains unclear. Mamdani’s campaign has not confirmed whether it authorized the texts or approved their content. Still, the optics of invoking one of the most traumatic events in Jewish memory in support of a candidate who has frequently criticized the State of Israel is seen by many as politically and morally inflammatory.

“There’s a line between legitimate criticism and political exploitation,” said a Manhattan rabbi interviewed by The New York Post. “And this crossed it.”

Mamdani is also under scrutiny over allegations that he falsely claimed African-American identity in his application to Columbia University. Though Mamdani was born in Uganda to Indian parents, The New York Post confirmed earlier this week that the Bronx Science graduate listed himself as African-American on academic documents — a move critics say represents opportunistic racial self-reinvention.

“It’s not just about a song or a tweet anymore,” said a former Democratic staffer. “It’s a pattern — from misrepresenting his identity to mocking Jewish traditions to polarizing messaging about Israel. It’s hard to see how this man can unify New York.”

With New York’s mayoral election rapidly approaching, Mamdani’s controversies may prove politically damaging in a city where nearly 1 in 8 residents is Jewish and where interfaith cooperation has long been a political cornerstone. Many voters, particularly in outer-borough Jewish enclaves such as Borough Park, Forest Hills, and the Five Towns, are expressing growing unease about Mamdani’s platform and tone.

“He wants to be mayor of a city he clearly doesn’t understand,” said one Orthodox Jewish voter from Brooklyn, speaking to The New York Post. “We’re not looking for gimmicks. We want respect.”

Calls for an apology have intensified, but Mamdani has yet to address the video or the backlash publicly. His office did not respond to repeated requests for comment from The New York Post.

What Mamdani might have once viewed as a lighthearted gesture has now become a symbol of a deeper disconnect between his campaign and critical voting blocs in New York. The backlash from Jewish groups and individual voters reflects more than just hurt feelings — it sheds light on  the profound consequences of tone-deaf leadership in a city as religiously diverse and politically complex as New York.

As The New York Post has reported, the issue is no longer limited to one tweet or one parody video. With each controversy, Mamdani faces an increasingly difficult question: Can a candidate who mocks sacred traditions, distorts racial identity, and invokes tragedy for political gain truly lead a city built on mutual respect?

For many Jewish New Yorkers, the answer may already be clear.