A version of this piece first ran as part of the New York Jewish Week’s daily newsletter, rounding up the latest on politics, culture, food and what’s new with Jews in the city. Sign up here to get it in your inbox.
🚒 Mamdani names fire commissioner after last one quit
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Zohran Mamdani named Lillian Bonsignore as his new fire commissioner on Tuesday, weeks after the former fire commissioner quit and cited Mamdani’s critical views on Israel as a “factor.”
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Robert S. Tucker, who is Jewish, submitted his resignation the day after Mamdani won the general election on Nov. 4. He said in an interview on CBS Mornings, “I believe that the things that I have heard the mayor say would make it difficult for me to continue on in such a senior executive role in the administration.”
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Tucker was honored at a Shabbat service at the Upper East Side Temple Emanu-El on Friday. He told The New York Times he didn’t regret his comments about Mamdani, but added that it was time to “start paying attention to the good trajectory the department is on and the future of the FDNY.”
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After Tucker’s last day on the job, Mayor Eric Adams named Mark Guerra as interim commissioner on Tuesday for the remaining eight days of his term.
🤝 Mamdani meets Palestinian student doxxed for Brown shooting
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Mamdani said he talked with Mustapha Kharbouch, a Palestinian student at Brown University who was falsely accused by online sleuths of being the shooter who killed two students earlier this month.
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The attack, followed the next day by a mass shooting at a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney, ignited a flurry of unfounded allegations online about an antisemitic motive. Police have identified Claudio Neves Valente as the shooter at Brown.
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Mamdani said Kharbouch lived in Sunnyside during a summer internship and hoped to move back to the city.
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“I told Mustapha that we would love to have him back in New York City, where — as Mayor — I will make it my job to cherish, protect, and celebrate all New Yorkers and combat Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism at every corner,” he said.
🎄 Merry Jewish Christmas!
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What’s a Jew to do on Christmas? Read our rundown of Jewish events today and tomorrow, from board games and comedy to klezmer concerts and the Matzo Ball.
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Back in the day, Yiddish-speaking Jews had themselves a merry “nitl” Christmas. Find out why in Jordan Chad’s new book, “Christmas in the Yiddish Tradition.”
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Why do many Jewish families order Chinese food on Christmas? A group of New York high schoolers explored the time-honored tradition for NPR.
📸 Culture corner
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Did you know the photo booth was invented by a Russian Jewish immigrant in 1925? We visited Autophoto, a photo booth gallery and museum on the Lower East Side that recently opened its doors to celebrate 100 years since the invention of the photo booth.
