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John,

Last night, I was honored to speak at the West Side Institutional Synagogue about my faith, my family, and how we can build a New York that's safer not just for Jews, but for all of us.

As Mayor, I always will fight antisemitism and all forms of hate. Read more about my speech in the New York Post [[link removed]] and the Forward [[link removed]] , or watch it here [[link removed]] .

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You may be surprised to learn it, but growing up, I almost became a rabbi.
I was the national social action vice president of the Reform Jewish Youth Movement, the National Federation of Temple Youth, known as NFTY. An active member of Hillel on my college campus at the University of Chicago. A Hebrew School teacher, a so-so songleader, and a pretty good canoe instructor at Jewish summer camp.
As NFTY’s national social action vice president, I led two major efforts. One was to organize young people for the 1987 rally in Washington DC to free Soviet Jews. And the other was a national anti-poverty effort, fighting against Republican cuts to food stamps.
At our family Seder that year, I wrestled with the tension between those efforts. Our rally for Soviet Jewry echoed when we said Vehi She’amda , in every generation they rise up to destroy us. On the other hand, the more universal work against poverty resonated when we read Ha Lachma Anya, Kol dichfin yeitei v’yeichol , “Let all who are hungry come and eat.”
So we added Rabbi Hillel’s words to our family Haggadah, where they have stayed ever since: Im Ein Ani Li Mi Li, Uchsheani L’Atsmi, Ma’Ani . If I am not for myself, who will be for me? But if I am for myself only, what am I?
What I’m going to argue tonight is that Rabbi Hillel’s words are a guide for us today. Antisemitism is rising, and we must fight it. But we must not fall for cynical approaches from opportunistic politicians – in some cases, politicians who aren’t even Jewish, ironically seeking to demonize leaders who are.
Like when Donald Trump smeared Chuck Schumer, the highest ranking Jewish elected official in American history, calling him a Palestinian.
Or when Andrew Cuomo, who has been sued for antisemitic discrimination and caught using anti-Jewish slurs, came to this very shul and tried to weaponize antisemitism against me, the highest ranking Jew in New York City government, for his own political gain – right out of the Donald Trump playbook.
Somehow, we Jews have become political pawns for politicians trying to score political points. See something or someone you don’t like? Call it antisemitism, in a cheap, craven attempt to lure in Jewish support. All for political gain.
It actually does nothing positive for Jews.
Meanwhile, Trump is exploiting antisemitism on campus in an effort to weaken institutions of liberal higher education, due process, and civil rights that Jews ourselves have relied on.
There is a better way forward – for keeping Jews safe, and all our neighbors, too – and we can model it right here in New York City. I’ll sketch it out tonight. As mayor, I’ll help lead us there.
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I grew up idolizing Abraham Joshua Heschel, a rabbi and scholar active in the civil rights and antiwar movements, who lived the last 30 years of his life just a few blocks from here. I was taught to stand up both for Jews and for all people who are facing oppression – to work to build a more equal and inclusive society grounded in the Jewish value of b’tzelem elohim , that idea that everyone is created in the image of God.
As a Jew born in the Midwest, I was drawn to and captivated by New York City. I really can’t get over what this city has been for our people. After two thousand years of wandering and oppression, this city has offered us safety and flourishing, economically, culturally, politically.
I feel it very personally – the opportunity to raise Jewish kids in this city is one of the remarkable gifts of my life. We named our kids after tough, activist Jews – our son Marek for Marek Edelman, one of the leaders of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, our daughter Rosa in part for Rose Schneiderman, a Jewish immigrant to this city who fought tirelessly for workers rights, famous for demanding bread and roses. Our Rosa has learned Yiddish, baked challah for synagogue members who were home-bound during the pandemic, and interned at the Lower East Side Tenement Museum.
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Uchsheani la’atsmi, ma’ani? But if I am for myself alone, what am I?
Unfortunately, some people are for themselves alone – and Donald Trump and Andrew Cuomo are both on that list.
Both are using Jews as pawns to advance their own interests – in dangerous ways.
Let’s be very clear. Donald Trump, who has proudly met with avowed antisemites and condoned the behavior of skinheads, has absolutely no standing to question the Jewishness of Chuck Schumer. The senator has been a protector of Jewish culture and life for nearly five decades in public life.
And then there’s Andrew Cuomo. A man who the New York Times said condemned Jews observing Sukkot with curse words and slurs, making fun of our “tree houses.” When it comes time to score political points, he uses antisemitism as nothing more than a political game. A few years back, he secretly distributed a mailer falsely claiming his opponent was antisemitic, and then pretended he didn’t know about it. This campaign, he stood up in this synagogue and called all his opponents – including the highest ranking Jewish official in New York City – antisemitic, with absolutely zero basis.
Why? Not to help us. To help himself . How do we know his commitment to this issue is paper thin? He started an organization supposedly designed to combat antisemitism, got millions of dollars for it, received glowing headlines about it… and then once he got what he needed from it, didn’t lift a finger to have it do anything else, like help the Jewish people.
Donald Trump and Andrew Cuomo are welcome to disagree with my positions. But they don’t get to decide who’s a good Jew.
Using Jews as pawns to score political points. Questioning the Jewishness of Jewish leaders you disagree with. Waving the flag of antisemitism to destroy programs Jews rely on. None of this makes us safer.



SUPPORT BRAD LANDER [[link removed]]
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