Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic Socialist assemblyman leading the New York City mayoral race, attended Kol Nidrei at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center, wearing a white kippah and seated prominently between Rep. Jerry Nadler and State Comptroller Brad Lander.

The event, hosted by Lab/Shul — a self-described “artist-driven, everybody-friendly, God-optional, pop-up, experimental community for sacred Jewish gatherings” — saw Mamdani receive a standing ovation from attendees.

Nadler, the outgoing dean of the Congressional Jewish Caucus and a longtime figure in New York Democratic politics, has publicly endorsed Mamdani’s campaign.

Nadler’s own synagogue, B’nai Jeshurun, circulated an email to congregants last week clarifying that Mamdani would not be attending services there, calling Yom Kippur “a holy day of deep spiritual significance, of introspection and prayer — not a time for political campaigning.”

Mamdani’s appearance has reignited criticism from major Jewish organizations, who have accused the candidate of antisemitic rhetoric and hostility toward Israel. The assemblyman, a vocal supporter of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, has said he would order the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visited New York City. He has also refused to condemn the slogan “globalize the intifada,” declining to acknowledge its violent implications against Jews.

David May, senior analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, responded to Mamdani’s appearance, posting a photo from the event on X and quoting the introduction to Kol Nidrei: “We allow praying with sinners.”

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