כ״ב אלול ה׳תשפ״ה | September 15, 2025
In Shocking Betrayal, Hochul Backs Mamdani for Mayor
In a move that has alarmed many Jewish New Yorkers, Governor Kathy Hochul announced in a New York Times op-ed Sunday night that she is endorsing Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, who has been widely accused of antisemitism, for mayor of New York City.
In a move that has alarmed many Jewish New Yorkers, Governor Kathy Hochul announced in a New York Times op-ed Sunday night that she is endorsing Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, who has been widely accused of antisemitism, for mayor of New York City.
Governor Kathy Hochul announced in a New York Times op-ed Sunday night that she is endorsing Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani for mayor of New York City. The move has alarmed Chabad and the wider Jewish communities, who had strongly supported Hochul and now fear this signals a shift away from her commitments on fighting antisemitism and protecting Jewish safety.
President Donald J. Trump reacted on Truth Social this morning, writing that Hochul had endorsed the “Liddle’ Communist” Zohran Mamdani, calling it “a rather shocking development” and warning that “Washington will be watching this situation very closely.”
Mamdani was born in Uganda to an academic father and filmmaker mother, spent part of his childhood in South Africa, and moved to New York City at age seven. While in college, he founded a chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine, which marked the start of his political activism. He was later elected to the State Assembly in 2020 and joined the Democratic Socialists of America, becoming part of their “State Socialists in Office” bloc.
He has called Israel an apartheid state, supports the BDS movement, and has said he would have Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrested if he visited New York under an ICC warrant. He was arrested during a pro-Palestinian ceasefire protest, has refused to condemn chants such as “Globalize the Intifada,” and sponsored a bill to block charities from donating to groups involved in Yehuda and Shomron. Mamdani has also attacked law enforcement, previously tweeting “#DefundTheNYPD” and calling the NYPD “racist,” though he has more recently said he would work with the police and apologized for the remark.
In her op-ed, Hochul wrote that she had “frank conversations” with Mamdani about “the need to combat the rise of antisemitism urgently and unequivocally.” She added that she has “been glad to see him meet with Jewish leaders across the city, listening and addressing their concerns directly.” Hochul also stressed that she told Mamdani, “our police officers should have every resource to keep our streets and subways safe,” and that she expects “strong leadership at the helm of the NYPD.”
Until now, Hochul enjoyed strong support from Chabad and Orthodox neighborhoods such as Crown Heights, Borough Park, and the Five Towns, where rabbonim and askanim publicly urged voters to back her based on her promises to combat antisemitism and defend yeshiva education. Many of those leaders are now expressing deep concern that her endorsement of Mamdani disregards his long record of hostile statements on Eretz Yisroel and Jewish issues, with some describing it as a “slap in the face” to Jewish voters who helped elect her.
Reactions from leading officials came quickly. NYGOP Chair Ed Cox said, “In a four-way race, Kathy Hochul just endorsed an avowed communist and anti-Semite for Mayor of the City of New York.” Representative Elise Stefanik warned that Hochul had “bent the knee to the Communist Antisemite Zohran Mamdani,” while Congressman Mike Lawler called the decision “a complete and total disaster for our state and for the country.” Others said Hochul was “putting criminals and communists first, and New Yorkers last” and accused her of “desperately shoring up her far-left flank” out of fear of a primary challenge.
Many in the Jewish community expressed outrage, calling the endorsement “a massive betrayal and slap in the face for the Jewish community. She would never have gotten her position without their support.” Some said Hochul had “just endorsed an avowed communist and anti-Semite for Mayor of New York City” and warned it could “endanger Jewish neighborhoods and institutions across the city.” Others described it as “a slap in the face of millions of New Yorkers” and “a choice that betrays the people who trusted her.”
Many Jewish community members who once supported Hochul, including some who had backed former Governor Andrew Cuomo to stop Mamdani during the Democratic primary, see her decision as a shocking betrayal and now fear it could endanger the safety of Jewish neighborhoods and institutions in New York City.
COMMENTS
Was it only last year Hochul donated nearly 5 million (!) to the JCM?
A lack of hakoras hatov in this article.
You can complain about her, but give credit where due “וגם חרבונה זכור לטוב.”
how exactly does the community at large gain from the jcm?
First, more tehillim. Al pi teva: Is it possible to communicate with her? Show her the facts about him and his father, Mahmood, as investigated and verified for example in the canary mission website? That shows the Mamdanis’’ literally being part of the trrst mission. Socialism and communism are not reasons for some not to align with him because they don’t think too deeply into it— just seems like sharing and kindness for those who never lived under it. But Mamdani’s response to Oct 7 and his participation and alliance with the protests that obstructed traffic, aimed to get the NYPD to be spread too thin so that xmas would be “canceled” etc. shows “First the Saturday people, then the Sunday people” as said throughout the arab and world, and ultimately is terribly harmful to law abiding muslims who want freedom of religion and a chance at prosperity rather than the trrism and violence in the countries they came from. Also, remember, whether certainly South African Government, Tucker Carlson, or maybe, sadly, Hochul, “leaders” are bribed by Iran and other trrst entities. Antidote in ruchnius, we can add in tzeddukah. We can pray for and work for Moshiach. And yes, we can thank Hochul for the times she’s done the right thing and bezH she can take back the mistaken endorsement. We the Jewish people are trying to do teshuva now. Rosh Hashanna is the birthday of all human kind. Praying we all connect to Hashem, and do more and more true good towards Moshiach and the Geulah.
Yener turns 34 right before the election. Kapitel 35 is particularly relevant, including the ending.
Just because she was gracious then, doesnt mean you can’t call her out now for this egregious betrayal.
Is this the same website that published a letter from the Rebbe less than a year ago conveying the Rebbe’s explicit words that Lubavitch (Chabad) does not take a public stand in any election to any office?
https://anash.org/aguch-releases-letter-on-chabads-election-policy/
Has there ever been a situation like this of an outright antisemite running for office?
sadly, many people have voiced similar arguments over the years, that maybe in this situation or that situation a certain horaah etc doesnt apply (i believe that arik sharon claimed that the Rebbe would agree to the disengagement from gaza ch”v… and the list goes on and on)
for this reason we need to remember that התורה היא נצחית, and the Rebbe’s horaos (as well as the rest of torah) are everlasting and never change. (the Rebbe said a similar point about the germans ym”sh, that because their morals weren’t based on belief in Hashem, they could change it how they like. only when it’s based on Dvar Hashem can you be sure that you won’t cross any red lines. והנמשל מובן)
I am just thankful to Hashem that Adams didn’t get up. quit, and ENDORSE MAMZERANI yet, Hayah lo tihyeh. Even more than that we need to back Cuomo, we need Adams to quit and take a job elsewhere, and if polls don’t revert, immediately “convince” Sliwa to take a golden parachute. Let’s not forget that in 1977, the Rebbe said that we need to give honor to Carter simply because he was an incumbant. This didn’t prevent the Rebbe from insisting that before attending the November 1980 Farbrengen on election day. that Anash have to vote. Obviously it went 100% for Reagan. Hakoras hatov is nice, but Shlaymas Haaretz and Jewish safety are somewhat nicer. Hakoras hatov is not about money but about our true interests.
Eric Adams isn’t staying on so he can have a job. He can find what to do in public service or not. We benefit from his continued leadership as G-d’s messenger. Sliwa has the right to stay in the race because there is always democrat and Republican. Adams said in advance he would run on independent line. If you look at the facts, he has sometimes been democratic, sometimes republican . Independent is appropriate. He wants public safety for all, doing what works, no matter who thought of it. Cuomo lost democratic primary– running for Mayor to look for a job , and he LOST. Cuomo is all about looking for a job, whereas the other candidates have a mission for NYC in particular (Mamdani has jihadist background and goals, Adams and Sliwa have public safety backgrounds and goals). Adams is solidly pro Jewish and has been blessed so many accomplishments in public safety (a school shooting in Queens was recently preempted– lots of things people don’t notice because he and his team are shluchim for yeshuas that go unnoticed , B”H) in SPITE of the obstacles Cuomo placed on public safety as governer. Cuomo had policies in general, and was personally harmful to too many members of staff for it to have been made up, that seemed unforgivable, BUT some of us voted for him in the primary to vote against Mamdani. I’m not making that mistake again. Adams or Sliwa are the only ones we can vote for in good conscience. Cuomo can stay in and be blessed to see (and his financial backers see) he actually doesn’t get too many votes and gets out of politics/does teshuva . Or let him save face by dropping out now as though he were magnanimous, and back Adams. Adams has withstood so much lawfare for good choices (sometimes resented/punished because they aligned with sensible policies of Republicans) which became even worse after his important speech after Oct. 7 “We are not alright”. See his interview on Meaningful Minute, or see Shais Taub’s talk with him on overcoming obstacles such as dyslexia Shais Taub is VERY not political, but this discussion was relevant. The only other time I remember Shais Taub speaking and it had to do with politics was during the covid pandemic when he was concerned that the governor (guess who it was?– Cuomo!) had said about any supposed accomplishments in dealing with it something like “G-d didn’t do this. We did it!” Can’t vote for him. Eric Adams believes in a Higher Power ; and visits the keverim of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Ari Halberstam– may Hashem avenge his blood–, and the Ribnitzer Rebbe. All of the above are the thoughts of MANY people… Who have never been asked to participate in the polls that are mentioned in the news. Sending blessings that whoever cares about NYC, Jews, democracy, and is against trrism, get behind Eric Adams– that includes financial backers who can help get all of these facts publicized for the good of everyone. Eric Adams is the G-d centered, pro semite, pro security candidate that civilization needs. And it’s a mayor’s job to help civilize. It’s up to us to bring Moshiach and the Geulah. When we do our hishtadlus in voting , let’s accompany it with ruchnius. These are the facts.