Mayor Zohran Mamdani rolled out the city's first municipal antisemitism strategy Tuesday, but left out a formal definition of the term and drew immediate pushback over his rhetoric on Israel.
The plan totals $26 million. It includes $6.4 million for community groups, $1 million for synagogue security, $2 million for the Queens Holocaust Memorial and $2.5 million for The Center for New Jewish Culture in Central Brooklyn. The plan also expands school field trips to the Museum of Jewish Heritage and launches a LinkNYC kiosk campaign highlighting Jewish New Yorkers' contributions.
Mamdani announced it by video instead of a live press conference and a state senator criticized the plan for not clearly addressing anti-Zionism. The administration argues existing hate crime statutes and civil rights protections are sufficient, so it did not adopt a working definition. Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, praised parts of the plan but said Mamdani must stop his "harsh anti-Israel rhetoric," noting some attacks are fueled by anti-Zionism.
Jewish New Yorkers make up about 12% of the city's population but are victims in roughly half of reported hate crimes, Mamdani said. Earlier this month, Mamdani and Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch announced heightened security around synagogues and Jewish schools for the High Holy Days. The rollout also follows a sharp rebuke from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who called Mamdani "the antisemitic mayor of New York" at the United Nations last week.
Allies defended the plan. Former city Comptroller Brad Lander called it a "thoughtful, strategic combination" of education, enforcement and safety investment.
The 33-page report leans on federal partners and other city agencies, leaving implementation as the open question.
