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.
🛒 Goldman and Lander weigh in on Brooklyn food coop’s Israel boycott
- A new poll from PIX11 and Emerson College shows Brad Lander leading Rep. Dan Goldman in New York’s 12th Congressional District by 34 points, with 57% of the vote to Goldman’s 23%. Lander has differentiated from his fellow Jewish Democrat in part by taking a harsher stance against Israel.
-
The two men have weighed in on the Park Slope Food Coop’s proposed boycott of Israeli products, which will go up for a vote next week.
-
Goldman urged members of the food coop to vote against the resolution, according to the Forward. He said in a statement that a boycott “only succeeds at shifting the responsibility for the Israeli government’s actions to American Jews — which is quintessential antisemitism.”
-
Lander, a close ally of Mayor Zohran Mamdani, signaled to the Forward that he would vote against the resolution if he were a member. “Principled people can disagree here,” said Lander. “Boycotts, divestments, and sanctions are legitimate tools of advocacy campaigns. Unlike my opponent, I don’t believe all opposition to Israel is antisemitic.”
🗞️ Satmar Jews stand by Mamdani
-
Der Blatt, a Yiddish newspaper affiliated with the Orthodox Jewish Satmar sect, defended Mamdani against Jewish groups that boycotted his pre-Shavuot celebration at Gracie Mansion on Monday. The event came the day after Mamdani released a video commemorating Nakba Day, which some Jewish leaders decried as “one-sided.”
-
“Zionist organizations and their supporters throw childish tantrum as their efforts to portray Mamdani as an antisemite fall apart before their eyes,” said the newspaper’s front page, shared by The Forward’s Jacob Kornbluh. Satmar Rabbi Moshe Indig, who endorsed Mamdani during his campaign, attended the Shavuot event.
📚 New school ‘buffer zone’ bill excludes college campuses
-
New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin on Wednesday announced a revised version of a “buffer zone” bill to limit protests around schools, this time excluding colleges and universities. Mamdani vetoed the original bill in April.
-
Council Member Eric Dinowitz told our Joseph Strauss that the new Schools Safe Access bill was “slightly tweaked” to gain “more broad support” from city lawmakers. “There were some members who were uncomfortable with the ‘educational facility’ piece, so we targeted it towards early childhood centers, pre-K and K-to-12 schools,” said Dinowitz.
-
The legislation was initially introduced as part of a package in the wake of pro-Palestinian protests outside synagogues hosting Israeli real estate events that included the promotion of West Bank settlements. The demonstrations sparked outrage among major Jewish groups and leaders.
-
A number of progressives voiced concerns about the original bill chilling free speech on college campuses. Some left-wing groups, including Jews for Racial and Economic Justice and Jewish Voice for Peace, say they will continue to fight against a new iteration.
🚨 Man indicted for threatening a Jewish NYC nonprofit
-
New Jersey man Cameron Patterson has been indicted on federal charges of making interstate threats to a Jewish nonprofit in New York City, the Justice Department said on Wednesday.
-
Patterson sent three emails threatening physical harm to the organization on Oct. 6, 2024, according to federal authorities. A search of his iCloud account revealed images depicting or referencing violence, threats of violence and mass shootings.
🗣️ Giuliani accuses Mamdani of ‘hatred’ of Jews
-
Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani slammed Mamdani for saying he will not attend Manhattan’s annual Israel Day parade on May 31. “Mamdani’s decision to snub the Israeli Day Parade demonstrates his deep disdain and hatred of the Jewish community,” Giuliani told The New York Post.
Jewish stories matter, and so does your support. The New York Jewish Week brings you the stories behind the headlines, keeping you connected to Jewish life in New York. Help sustain the reporting you trust by donating today.
