Rabbis Losing It
As a rabbi, I’ve certainly had my differences and philosophical disagreements with other rabbis, but I don’t ever remember feeling embarrassed or ashamed by anything said or written by a fellow rabbi—of any denomination. That is, until I read Rabbi Rachel Goldenberg’s article, “We are NYC rabbis who support Zohran Mamdani…” explaining why she and six of her rabbinic colleagues voted for and proudly support Mamdani for mayor.
Many of the reasons these rabbis cite for their support center on shared progressive values, which they consider to be a true reflection of Jewish values. While I fundamentally disagree with that assessment, this is not the time to debate what values or policies are authentically Jewish and which are not. What’s pressing now is Jewish safety and support for Israel—both of which are seriously threatened by Mamdani.
Having a mayor who explicitly supports BDS and who calls Israel’s policies “apartheid” and “genocide” will no doubt further legitimize and mainstream antisemitism. The more that New Yorkers—and people everywhere—are led to believe those lies, the more they will feel justified in committing acts of violence against Jews. That’s why Jewish students are being harassed and synagogues attacked. Do these rabbis backing Mamdani not realize that when young Americans chant support for Hamas, they believe they’re combating genocide—and in that fight, anything is justified?
The author rejects what she calls “bad faith attacks on Mamdani” over the phrase “globalize the intifada,” claiming that the phrase can mean “different things to different people.” But who cares? What intifada means to Jews is suicide bombings, knife attacks, and car rammings. And since that’s what it means to most Jews, isn’t that enough to label someone who refuses to condemn such activity an antisemite? How can Mamdani—or anyone who fails to denounce such murderous activity against Jews—become NYC’s mayor – home to the largest diaspora Jewish population?
“We believe that Jewish safety will not be secured by demanding unconditional support for Israel,” the author writes. But who in the Jewish community is demanding unconditional support for Israel? We’re simply asking not to have a mayor who delegitimizes and demonizes the one Jewish state that New York City’s one million Jews love and support.
Most of us, anyway.
