If you’ve been following New York City politics lately, you know it’s been a wild ride. The rise of Zohran Mamdani—the first Muslim mayor in the city's history—has basically rewritten the rulebook on how to run a campaign in the five boroughs. But if there’s one topic that still sets off fireworks in every Brooklyn coffee shop and Upper West Side Shabbat dinner, it’s the relationship between Zohran Mamdani and Jewish voters.
Honestly, the media coverage makes it sound like a total war zone. You’ve probably seen the headlines: "Jewish Community Alarmed" vs. "Progressive Jews Rejoice." The reality? It’s way more complicated than a simple "us versus them" story.
The Election Night Reality Check
Let's look at the actual numbers because they tell a story that most pundits missed. On election night in November 2025, the exit polls were a bit of a shocker. CNN found that about 33% of Jewish voters backed Mamdani. Now, compare that to Andrew Cuomo, who scooped up 63% of that same demographic.
Wait, 33%?
That’s a third of the most populous Jewish city in the world outside Israel. For a candidate who was frequently branded as "anti-Israel" or even "dangerous" by his opponents, that’s a massive chunk of the electorate. It shows that the "Jewish vote" isn't a monolith. Not even close.
Where the Divide Actually Lives
If you look at the precinct data, the city basically looks like a quilt with very different patterns.
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In Borough Park, the numbers were staggering. Cuomo pulled in nearly 88% of the vote. In some specific Hasidic blocks, Mamdani barely broke 6%. These are communities where his support for the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement and his rhetoric on Gaza aren't just "policy disagreements"—they're seen as existential threats.
But then, walk a few miles over to Park Slope.
The vibe shifts completely. In those leafy, progressive precincts, Mamdani actually beat Cuomo, taking over 75% of the vote. Many of these voters are Jewish New Yorkers who care deeply about rent freezes, free buses, and taxing the 1%, and they actually agree with his critiques of the Israeli government. For them, Mamdani wasn't the "scary" candidate; he was the one talking about their landlord and their commute.
What Most People Get Wrong About the "Conflict"
There’s this idea that Zohran Mamdani and Jewish voters are at odds solely because of foreign policy. That's a bit of a reach.
While the AJC and the ADL have raised serious alarms about his stance on Israel’s "right to exist as a Jewish state," Mamdani’s team played a very different game on the ground. They didn't just ignore the Jewish community. They went deep into the weeds.
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- Yiddish Outreach: Did you know Mamdani printed campaign posters in Yiddish? He was reaching out to the Satmar community in Williamsburg on their own terms.
- The "Affordability" Bridge: He spent months talking about the "Hidden Voices" program to teach Jewish American history in schools.
- Security Funding: He pledged to increase hate-crime prevention funding from $3 million to $26 million.
He basically said: "Look, we’re going to disagree on Gaza. But I’m going to make sure your Yeshiva is safe and your rent doesn't go up." For a lot of people, that was enough.
The Brad Lander Factor
You can't talk about this without mentioning Brad Lander, the City Comptroller and the highest-ranking Jewish official in New York. His endorsement was like a lightning bolt.
Lander, along with figures like Jerry Nadler and groups like Jews for Racial and Economic Justice (JFREJ), provided a "he’s okay" seal of approval for secular, liberal Jews. They argued that a multiracial, multifaith coalition was the only way to beat back what they called "MAGA-style hate."
On the flip side, mainstream organizations like the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations were—and still are—deeply skeptical. They see his revocation of certain executive orders (like those adopting the IHRA definition of antisemitism) as a sign that he isn't serious about protecting mainstream Jewish interests.
Moving Beyond the Campaign Rhetoric
Now that he's in Gracie Mansion, the honeymoon (if there ever was one) is over. The "clean slate" approach he took in his first weeks—clearing out Eric Adams' old orders—rubbed a lot of people the wrong way. It felt targeted to some, even if he says it was just administrative housekeeping.
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The "Mamdani and the Jews" saga is really a story about the changing identity of New York itself. It’s about a younger generation of voters—including Jewish ones—who are less tied to traditional institutional positions and more focused on local material conditions.
But it's also about a real, palpable fear in Orthodox and centrist communities that their concerns are being sidelined in favor of a new, radical orthodoxy.
What to Watch Next
If you want to see where this is headed, don't just watch the protests at City Hall. Watch these three things:
- The Office to Combat Antisemitism: Mamdani kept it open. How he staffs it and what definition of antisemitism they use will be the ultimate litmus test.
- City Divestment: He promised to look into divesting city funds from Israel. If he actually tries to pull the trigger on that, the legal and political backlash will be unlike anything the city has seen.
- Local Safety Stats: If hate crimes against Jews continue to rise (or fall), his administration will be judged by the data, not the speeches.
The relationship between Zohran Mamdani and Jewish voters isn't a finished chapter. It's a live experiment in whether a city this diverse—and this divided—can actually find common ground on the subway, even if they're worlds apart on the map.
Next Steps for Staying Informed:
- Check the latest public safety briefings from the NYPD's Hate Crimes Task Force to see if the new funding levels are actually being implemented.
- Follow the City Council's Finance Committee hearings to track any movements regarding city pension fund divestment proposals.
- Look for upcoming community town halls in Borough Park or the Upper West Side where the administration is attempting direct constituent outreach.