New Yorkers just made history!
New Yorkers elected the first Muslim mayor of their city, home to the largest Jewish community in the U.S. New Yorkers did so because of a vision of affordability and a government that cares for the people it’s supposed to serve. And New Yorkers did so with joy, knocking every door they could map and dialing every number they could ring with a positive message of our shared future.
They did all this in the midst of Trump threats, Musk meddling, and MAGA billionaire bullies funding anti-Muslim bigotry. They won even as some in our own community joined them in choosing fear and division over the promise of safety and solidarity.
We know that some Jewish New Yorkers may not agree with the new mayor’s policies or don’t see themselves in his vision for New York. We hope to continue listening and working together to find understanding and stay in community.
We also know that some leaders in our community cynically chose proximity to power or perceived Jewish self-interest over solidarity in this election. They helped inflame tensions in our community and the many communities we belong to. Tensions we will have to repair.
Using smokescreen antisemitism, opponents attempted to divide the multifaith, multiracial majority that makes up New York City. White nationalists have long recognized that this nation’s biggest defense against their plans for authoritarianism is our majority, so they used Jewish fear and antisemitism to attempt to break it apart. They, and the candidates they employed as their messengers, failed.
New Yorkers saw through their tactics and kept their eyes on the ball — including Jewish New Yorkers. Local organizers like Jews for Racial and Economic Justice (JFREJ) and the diverse coalition they work with have spent decades creating the conditions where a mayor Zohran Mamdani would not only be possible, but could break records to win with overwhelming support. Volunteers from JFREJ and Bend the Arc chapters, the entire Jews for Zohran coalition, local Jewish leaders like Brad Lander, and thousands more took action together. They proved to an entire nation that Jews — including those in disagreement (and even those running for the same office) — can keep our majority intact, fight for progressive goals, and push back authoritarianism by leaning into our core Jewish values of solidarity and community.
Bend the Arc: Jewish Action is the nation’s largest domestic-focused progressive Jewish advocacy organization. We focus on national campaigns and have never endorsed and organized for mayoral candidates. But when we saw the promise of this campaign and what it could mean to the nation, we decided to make our first ever mayoral endorsement in our history for Zohran Mamdani.
We endorsed Zohran because we know what is possible when we work together to hold our multifaith, multiracial majority against attempts to break it and pave the way for undemocratic, minority rule. We endorsed Zohran because we know coalitions like this and transformational leaders like him are the antidote to fascism. We endorsed Zohran because we know a strong democracy is what keeps Jews the safest. We endorsed Zohran because he has a plan to counter antisemitism and bigotry against all of our communities. And we endorsed Zohran because we plan to take this playbook to cities and towns across the nation and work with our Jewish communities to bridge divisions, see through smokescreens, and take back Congress!
Mazel tov to Zohran Mamdani! We're so excited for the future we will build together, with you in New York City and all who this campaign will inspire across our nation.
— Jamie Beran, CEO
