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.
📢 JVP protesters arrested outside Schumer and Gillibrand’s offices
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Roughly 300 New Yorkers protested outside the offices of Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand yesterday, calling for the U.S. government to “stop arming Israel.” Over 90 were taken into police custody.
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The protest, led by anti-Zionist group Jewish Voice for Peace, was held as the U.S. Senate is expected to vote later this week on a Bernie Sanders-led resolution that the Vermont senator said would halt the sale of “nearly half a billion dollars worth of bombs and bulldozers to the Israeli military.”
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Among the protesters were NY-13 congressional candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier, who was also a Columbia encampment organizer, and Jewish actress Hari Nef.
🤳 Sneako takes Greenwich Village
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Sneako, the streamer who is sharply critical of Israel and sang “Heil Hitler” during a video with Nick Fuentes, was filmed in the West Village reciting a chant used by Hamas.
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The chant, “Khaybar Khaybar ya yahud,” has been used at anti-Israel demonstrations, and recalls a series of 7th-century battles fought between Muslims and the Jewish community of Khaybar.
🤝 Lander endorsed by IfNotNow
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Brad Lander, who’s running for Congress in NY-10, was endorsed yesterday by IfNotNow, the left-wing American Jewish organization that works to “end U.S. support for Israel’s apartheid system and demand equality, justice, and a thriving future for all Palestinians and Israelis.”
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“I am proud to receive the support of @IfNotNowOrg, which has been a clear, bold advocate for peace in Israel and Palestine,” Lander wrote.
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The group’s endorsement of Lander, who is Jewish, comes as the former city comptroller has hardened his stance on Israel, saying he would vote against Iron Dome funding.
☕️ Survivors speak
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To commemorate Yom HaShoah, Yad Vashem USA Foundation and the Blue Card, a Holocaust survivor charity, are hosting a series called “Sip and Listen,” where Holocaust survivors tell their stories at cafes in different neighborhoods.
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Survivor Adrienne Petrook shared her story at Cafe Aronne on the Upper East Side yesterday, and will do so again at Patis Bakery on the Upper West Side today at 4:30 p.m.
🎖️ Welcome to the Hall
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The Manhattan Jewish Historical initiative will induct 11 new members to its Manhattan Jewish Hall of Fame, in a ceremony held at Bryant Park on May 5.
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This year’s inductees include Council Speaker Julie Menin and entrepreneur Ari Ackerman.
👀 Speaking of Menin…
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The Jewish Council speaker and Mayor Zohran Mamdani have “been stoking an increasingly contentious feud that could end up hampering the mayor’s agenda,” Politico reports.
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Last month, Menin’s bill insulating houses of worship from protests passed with a supermajority, meaning Mamdani — who has expressed some concerns about the legislation — cannot veto it.
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