A ‘Dear Hitler’ letter does not need to be written to Zohran Mamdani
Within aviation, an air traffic controller may say to a pilot, “Please state your intentions”. The controller will issue the request when they want to know what the pilot wants. The phrase is used when the controller does not understand the pilot’s actions and needs more specific information.
Dr. Marc Shapiro writes in Between the Yeshiva World and Modern Orthodoxy: The Life and Works of Rabbi Jehiel Jacob Weinberg of a fascinating letter, written in October 1933, penned by a group of Orthodox rabbis from the Free Association for the Interests of Orthodox Jewry. They sent a missive to Adolf Hitler, in effect stating, “Adolf, please state your intentions”.
In 1933, when the rabbis wrote their letter, there was enough known about Hitler’s intentions for them to be concerned, but there was an underestimation of his radicalism. As the first regular nightly television news broadcast didn’t begin until March 1940, people couldn’t have a complete understanding of the situation.
Jump to 2025, with 7×24 news, social media, and political candidates’ web pages, knowing a candidate’s intentions is easy. No formal letter needs to be sent to the candidate; just use of a search engine will suffice.
When it comes to New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, no request is needed for him to state his intentions. He has made it eminently clear what he thinks of Israel, Zionism, and Jews. And it is not pretty.
From refusing to condemn violent slogans against Jews and Israel, denying Israel’s legitimacy, accusing Israel of genocide, and much more, Mamdani is bad for the Jews. He’s really bad for New York City also, but I won’t digress.
The fact that Mamdani has a pathological hatred for Israel should be clear to anyone with a pulse. Consider his inane comment that “We have to make clear that when the boot of the NYPD is on your neck, it’s been laced by the IDF.” The statement is so over the top, so illogical, that it could only be said by someone completely delusional or with a pathological hatred.
With that, it’s disheartening to hear of Jewish defenders of Mamdani, including influential lobbyist Ezra Friedlander. In an interview, Mr. Friedlander performed a mind-numbing act of dan l’caf zechut on Mamdani.
Dan l’caf zechut is a Hebrew phrase that comes from the first chapter of Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers). It means “to judge favorably” or to give the person the benefit of the doubt. It’s an important character trait in human interaction, as it’s easy to misunderstand another person’s intentions. So by giving them the benefit of the doubt, one’s bias or misunderstanding can be obviated.
More importantly, by being dan l’caf zechut, it can condition a person to be more tolerant and, when connected to positive psychology, lead them to a more positive life. The rabbis of the Talmud say that judging others favorably leads God to judge one more favorably.
As to Mamdani, Friedlander has performed dan l’caf zechut on steroids. Friedlander said. “I’m a contrarian. I actually believe should Mamdani become the mayor, he’s going to call this police commission and say, ‘Look, one community I want you to protect is the Jewish community. The last thing I want on my plate is for someone to accuse me that I haven’t been protected.”
Friedlander, along with many others, is not alone in completely misreading Mamdani. It’s inexcusable to think that Mamdani won’t be the worst thing for the Jewish community.
The Free Association for the Interests of Orthodox Jewry concluded their letter to Hitler with “But if we are wrong, if you, Herr Reich Chancellor, and the National Government you lead, if the responsible members of the Reich leadership of the National Socialist German Workers’ Party should indeed have made it their objective to eradicate German Jewry from the German body politic, then we would rather cease nurturing illusions and learn the bitter truth”.
Zohran Mamdani has made his intentions eminently clear. Anyone who thinks differently should cease nurturing their illusions and contemplate the bitter truth.
