For years, askanim and community leaders stood beside politicians at the White House, in Albany, and at City Hall. They built relationships, advocated for resources, and fought for the needs of the community. Most people understood the purpose. Government controls funding, influence, and access, and maintaining those relationships often produced real benefits for Jewish communities.
Critics occasionally mocked the optics or accused communal leaders of becoming too close to power, but most reasonable people understood that representation matters. Strong advocacy has long been an essential part of protecting and advancing communal interests.
But this moment is different.
Antisemitism is no longer hiding in the shadows. Jews are increasingly targeted under the cover of terms like “Zionists,” “anti-Israel,” and “anti-IDF.” The language may be politically sanitized, but the hostility behind it is becoming harder to ignore.
After watching Jewish neighborhoods in Manhattan, Queens, and now Midwood overwhelmed by hostile protests, masked agitators, and aggressive mobs, nobody can honestly pretend anymore that this is simply normal political activism.
What unfolded in Midwood was not peaceful “activism.” It was intimidation, chaos, and fear. Parents frantically searched for their children. Families rushed indoors. Residents felt trapped in their own neighborhood while police appeared either overwhelmed or unwilling to remove mobs marching without permits and in open violation of city law.
And afterward, City Hall said virtually nothing.
That silence was deafening.
Recent legislative battles at City Hall and now in Albany over establishing “protective distances” around shuls and yeshivas raise an obvious question: what difference does 50 feet, 100 feet, or even 1,000 feet make if aggressive mobs are still allowed to illegally march, without permits, through Jewish residential neighborhoods?
Allowing mobs to illegally march without permits and terrorize Jewish residential neighborhoods is outrageous.
Either there is law and order or there is not.
And if anyone still believes this mayor is going to offer meaningful protest or genuine concern, they simply have not been paying attention.
In the aftermath of the Midwood riots, the only notable public message from Mayor Mamdani was an incendiary tweet posted before Shabbos commemorating the “Nakba.”
Which brings us to the upcoming Jewish Heritage event at Gracie Mansion.
Year after year, these events have attracted a who’s who of community leaders, organizational representatives, askanim, and politically connected machers.
But things are different now.
There is something profoundly unsettling about watching Jewish neighborhoods overwhelmed by masked mobs and then, days later, seeing yarmulke-wearing communal representatives participate in carefully staged, feel-good photo opportunities with the same administration many believe enabled, excused, or tolerated the hostility directed at Jewish communities.
Political engagement matters. No serious person disputes that. Meetings should continue. Advocacy should continue. Relationships with government should continue.
But there is a difference between advocacy and exploitation.
Communal representatives should advocate privately and professionally for the needs of the Jewish community. They should continue fighting for security, funding, education, and protection. What they should not do is allow themselves to become political props while Jewish neighborhoods increasingly feel under siege.
At some point, the optics themselves become damaging.
Many ordinary community members no longer view these public displays as productive diplomacy. They view them as tone-deaf, humiliating, and disconnected from the fear and anger many Jewish families are currently experiencing.
And that raises a fair question:
Who exactly are these public appearances serving?
Charles Weiss
Flatbush, Brooklyn
The views expressed in this letter are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of YWN. Have an opinion you would like to share? Send it to us for review.
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6 Responses
AGREED
First of all there is no increase in anti semitism. Forty and fifty years ago there was real antisemitism. Today it’s a joke in America. Do some protesters including half of them secular or reform lefty Jews marched around Flatbush. Did they break any windows of cars or homes. No. No one says that Mondani loves Jews. Certainly not. The trick is to bankrupt him. Very simple. Rich Jews move to New Jersey or Florida while the poor ones will continue to take welfare and all the support the city gives to the poor. After he is gone after four years you can move back. Let’s play smart. Don’t forget we religious Jews have the highest birthrate in the world per family. Many people have ten fifteen or more kids. Next election we register every 18 year old to vote. We can change society as religious Jews. Vote republican down the line.
This mayor,ימ”ש,said in the primaries he will be directing things from Gracie Mansion.He is fulfilling his word.Hopefully,he won’t complete his term of office.The federal government has to investigate his funding,terrorist connections and immigration papers.His father praises suicide bombers in his book and dedicated it to his son.His wife praised Oct.7 and has written she would aspire to be a suicide terrorist.Incredible that this is being tolerated.
It is every true Askan’s duty to work whoever is currently holding office.
Political advocacy by an askan means exactly that they are being used as a prop by the politician. This isn’t a jewish thing or non jewish thing, this is how politics works.
Mr. Weiss, your letter is either ignorant or dumb.
Beyond that, if you want to help Jewish communities avoid the wrath of the non Jews around us, spread the Torah message that Zionism is an anti-Jewish anti-semitic political evil. We need to stop letting the these zionist destroyers of Jewish life leverage Jewish holy spaces to push their dangerous agenda such as mass aliya and violent wars.
We Jews should be joining these anti-zionist protesters hand in hand to remove the zionist rebellion against Torah from our midst, and as the Torah teaches us this will both make our exile safer as well as bring moshiach closer.
I genuinely do not understand the point you are trying to make. They should not attend the meeting? they should say, Hey Mr. Mayor, how about some Giuliani grade cops and be ignored?