Statement from Jim Berk, CEO of the Simon Wiesenthal Center.
The Simon Wiesenthal Center welcomes several concrete commitments in Mayor Mamdani’s Strategy to Combat Antisemitism, including increased resources for hate-crime prevention, security for vulnerable Jewish institutions, Holocaust and Jewish-history education, and greater coordination among city agencies.
The need for action is clear. As the administration’s own report acknowledges, Jewish New Yorkers make up approximately 12 percent of the city’s population but account for roughly half of reported hate-crime victims.
But safety requires more than locks, cameras and investigations after a crime has occurred. Prevention matters, too. That means recognizing antisemitism when it appears and confronting the rhetoric and ideas that can fuel it before they turn into harassment or violence.
The administration’s strategy discusses several prominent definitions of antisemitism but explicitly declines to adopt one. A strategy to combat antisemitism has to be able to state plainly what is being combatted. Without that clarity, an important question remains: What standard will New York City use to determine when rhetoric or conduct crosses into antisemitism, particularly when ‘Zionist’ becomes a proxy for Jew or when Jewish New Yorkers are targeted because of their connection to Israel?
This matters because Zionism and a connection to Israel are deeply connected to Jewish identity, history and peoplehood for many Jews.
Mayor Mamdani’s own record makes this question particularly important. Earlier this year, he chose not to attend Israel Day on Fifth, breaking with a longstanding tradition for New York City mayors. While his administration provided security for the parade, he said his decision not to attend reflected his previously stated views on the Israeli government.
The administration’s own report says there is ‘no single way to be Jewish,’ promises to engage Jewish New Yorkers across the ideological spectrum and says Jewish New Yorkers should be able to live openly and authentically in this city.
We take Mayor Mamdani at his word. Now comes the test.
That promise must apply equally to the observant Jew walking to synagogue, the student wearing a Star of David and the Jewish New Yorker whose Zionism or connection to Israel is part of their Jewish identity.
Security grants protect doors and windows. Police investigate crimes after they occur. But the first responsibility of leadership should be to prevent hatred from escalating in the first place. That means confronting antisemitic rhetoric and ideas before someone picks up a rock, paints a swastika or attacks a Jew.
The administration has said Jewish New Yorkers should be able to ‘see and feel’ whether this strategy is working and has committed to providing updates on its progress. We intend to hold the administration to that standard.
The Simon Wiesenthal Center stands ready to work with Mayor Mamdani and his administration wherever there is meaningful common ground in combating antisemitism. We welcome the commitments in this report and will be watching whether they translate into a safer New York for Jewish New Yorkers across the full spectrum of Jewish life.