The lone rabbi, of 40 Staten Island religious leaders with whom New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani met on Tuesday in a closed-press event, told JNS that he raised Jew-hatred with the mayor but received an inadequate response.
Rabbi Gerald Sussman, spiritual leader of Temple Emanu-El of Staten Island, a Conservative congregation, told JNS that he said to the mayor, “You’re upset about people buying property in Israel, but they’re interested because they feel unsafe here.’”
“He mentioned trying to deal with antisemitism by people working on joint projects and getting to know each other, which I don’t think would make much difference,” the rabbi said. “People’s version of what Israel is doing is beyond having the kids do plays together.”
“I don’t think it was an adequate response,” Sussman told JNS. “Overall the meeting was ‘rah-rah’ and ‘isn’t it great that he is here.’”
Mamdani “didn’t say much in response,” according to the rabbi.
“He was smiling. He has a winning demeanor, but I don’t expect to see any changes,” Sussman told JNS.
The mayor’s office described the gathering as a “roundtable discussion.”
Victor Brown, senior pastor of Mount Sinai United Christian Church, told JNS after the meeting that he convened the gathering, because “Staten Island was the only borough that did not vote for him, but we wanted to provide an opportunity so he could meet some of the most influential faith leaders here.”
Mamdani “is definitely making strides and is being very sensitive in his listening” about Jew-hatred, Brown, who is a chaplain of the New York City Police Department.
The mayor “is looking to mobilize his administration to be helpful,” Brown told JNS.
Sussman said that members of the mayor’s staff were present, including two members of Jews for Racial and Economic Justice, a left-wing group that was influential in the June Democratic New York City primary election, which selected former city comptroller Brad Lander.
Like Mamdani and Lander, Jews for Racial and Economic Justice has accused Israel of “genocide.”
Staten Island is the least populous of New York City’s boroughs. In 2023, it had 38,000 Jews, according to a UJA-Federation of New York Jewish population study. Only the Bronx had fewer Jews, with 29,000, per the study.
