OK, Mamdani has rizz. Now what do we do about it?

On the night Zohran Mamdani was elected the next mayor of New York City, he walked onstage before a sea of supporters that greeted him with enthusiastic applause.

“He isn’t bad looking,” said my wife, looking up from her phone at the TV.

This was the first time she’d really seen Mamdani—and for much of the American population outside of New York City, I expect that was true for them as well.

Before his surprise victory in the Democratic primary over Andrew Cuomo and Eric Adams, few of us were familiar with the 34-year-old who, after his election-night triumph, will be the next mayor of this country’s largest city – home to 1.3 million Jews.

His victory speech that night was one of confidence, swagger and rizz—the Gen-Z slang for “charisma.”

That night, as I scrolled social media, in-between videos of pro-Israel influencers expressing concern about Mamdani’s decisive victory—one expressed disbelief that a “Democratic socialistic, terrorism apologist” will now lead a city that 1.3 million Jews call home—were reels of Mamdani enjoying an election-night triumph while partying to Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind.”

If nothing else, for people under the age of 40—which includes me, just barely—the 34-year-old Mamdani is the rare thing—a relatable politician, someone who grew up shaped by the same cultural influences as them.

Years ago, during media interviews intended to humanize them, politicians like Chris Christie and Al Gore spoke about their love of Bruce Springsteen and the Grateful Dead. Recently, Mamdani appeared on Ari Melber’s MSNBC show and discussed rapper 50 Cent.

That might seem insignificant, but, to Gen Z and even millennial voters, it’s not.

And with an infectious smile that truly does stretch from ear-to-ear—imitated in a recent “Saturday Night Live” sketch featuring comedian Ramy Youssef—a lot of folks are smitten with Mamdani, despite adult-in-the-room reservations about how efficacious the mayor-elect’s economic policies will be, such as rent freezes and free public transportation.

Even Trump advisor Steve Bannon, in a Politico interview that was published the morning after Mamdani’s victory, acknowledged that Mamdani was “talented,” adding, “Game respects game.”

It’s true. Mamdani’s win absolutely was impressive. What’s more, Mandani garnered the vote of about a third of Jewish New Yorkers, creating confusion among the older, more reliably pro-Israel crowd about how Jews could possibly vote for somebody so openly hostile to Israel. Since his victory, the question I’ve been asked most frequently by older family members is “Do you think Mamdani is antisemitic?”

My honest, if unhelpful, answer: I don’t know.

During his Tuesday night victory speech, the mayor-elect said he’ll do everything in his power to protect the city’s Jews, saying he plans “to root the scourge of antisemitism out of our city.” The very next day, a yeshiva in Brooklyn was graffitied with swastikas—and Mamdani, to his credit, condemned it.

But how will the city’s first Muslim mayor respond if and when pro-Palestinian protestors marching in Times Square shouting “Globalize the Intifada” violently clash with pro-Israel demonstrators?

Clearly, Mamdani does make a distinction between anti-Zionism and antisemitism. How that’ll play out over the four years of his first term, we’ll just have to wait and see.

So, what is the best response to an anti-Israel mayor bursting with charm, relatability and political rizz?

Let’s be vigilant, informed and pay close attention to what Mandani does once he assumes office on January 1.

That’s what the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) is doing. On Nov. 5, a day after the election, the anti-bigotry organization announced an initiative that’ll track and monitor the incoming Mamdani administration’s policies, personnel and appointments. The includes a tipline that’ll allow New Yorkers to call in to report antisemitic incidents.

Questioned by an NPR reporter if the ADL, in announcing this project, was holding Mamdani to a standard it wouldn’t of other elected officials, ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said, “We’ve certainly never had an elected official like this before…I simply want to track what’s going on.”

That’s something all of us, especially those of us concerned about what Mamdani’s election means for the Jews, would benefit from doing.