By all moral accounts, this should be simple. The Orthodox Jewish community stands at a critical juncture as New York City’s mayoral race heats up. On one side: Mayor Eric Adams—a proven friend who’s stood up for us when it mattered most. On the other: disgraced former Governor Andrew Cuomo—a man whose policies killed thousands and whose lockdown-era rhetoric fueled antisemitism well before it became hip for college kids to run around in keffiyehs. Yet somehow, instead of locking arms with the mayor who had our back, some in our community are cozying up to Cuomo. It’s an outrage, a betrayal, and a chillul Hashem.
Let’s not dance around the truth. Andrew Cuomo’s COVID-era nursing home policies led to the deaths of 15,000 elderly New Yorkers. That’s not political spin—it’s blood on his hands. And for our community specifically, his policies were laced with hostility. While Cuomo’s allies gathered freely, Orthodox neighborhoods were painted red, vilified, and turned into national scapegoats.
He singled us out with falsehoods—on national TV. He made us a target of hate—on national TV. He fed and fanned the flames of antisemitism—specifically against Chareidim and Chassidim—again, on national TV. Our community still bears the scars.
Now he’s back, muttering half-scripted apologies to Orthodox leaders in closed-door meetings. And instead of throwing him out, some are taking selfies. Smiling. Nodding. Entertaining him. Why? For a promise of “access”? For jobs? For crumbs? Where is our self-respect?
Of course, those cozying up to Cuomo will say, “What choice do we have? He’s the frontrunner. Adams is unlikely to win another term. We don’t like Cuomo, but we have to be pragmatic. We’re just holding our noses.” But that’s not pragmatism. That’s cowardice. That’s the most short-sighted thinking imaginable.
Think about it: If we toss Eric Adams under the bus the moment political winds shift, what message does that send? Why would any future mayor, governor, or city council member ever want to align themselves with a community that abandons its allies the moment it’s inconvenient? You think you’re being strategic by cozying up to Cuomo. That might help you win a seat at the table today. But tomorrow? It torpedoes our credibility. It paints us as fair-weather friends. And it will haunt our political standing for years to come.
This is not just bad politics. It’s a moral failure. It’s a slap in the face to every Jew who was smeared during Cuomo’s reign. It’s a desecration of our values to shake hands with a man whose actions brought pain and death to thousands—and then try to sell him to our community as a legitimate option.
And then there’s Zohran Mamdani. A man who calls Israel’s right to self-defense “genocide.” A radical who wants to criminalize Jewish charities that support our brothers and sisters in Eretz Yisroel. A man who proudly declared he would arrest Prime Minister Netanyahu if he visited New York. That’s not “progressivism.” That’s dangerous extremism. That’s a direct threat to our safety, our values, and our future.
Cuomo. Mamdani. One with a trail of bodies. The other with a mind warped by anti-Israel venom. There is no “lesser evil” here. Both are threats.
And in the middle of this moral swamp stands Mayor Eric Adams—the only man in the race who has consistently stood up for our community. Adams has spoken out boldly against antisemitism, supported our religious rights, and championed public safety when others pandered to radicals. He didn’t just show up when it was convenient—he was with us in the trenches. When Jews were being attacked on the streets, Adams spoke. When hostage families cried out for help, Adams amplified their voices. And when criminals threatened the peace of our neighborhoods, Adams made it clear: Not on his watch.
Legal hurdles tried to sideline him—but he emerged stronger, now running as an independent. His campaign isn’t powered by backroom deals or radical ideology. It’s powered by a vision of unity, safety, and strength for all New Yorkers.
Yet our so-called “leaders” are busy taking meetings with Cuomo?
Let’s be clear: these “leaders” don’t speak for the community. The Orthodox Jewish community is not forgetful. We remember Cuomo’s betrayals. We see through Mamdani’s radicalism. And we will not be manipulated by photo-ops, hollow apologies, or campaign flyers stuffed with promises.
What we owe now is simple: hakaras hatov. Gratitude to Mayor Eric Adams for being the ally we desperately needed, and the leader we still need. Our votes must reflect our values—and our memory.
So to the leaders entertaining Cuomo: shame on you. To the activists defending Mamdani: look around. Your community is under attack, and you’re breaking bread with those who lit the match.
Let’s stand tall. Let’s vote smart. Let’s back the mayor who backed us.
Eric Adams is our mayor. Let’s keep it that way.
A “community leader” who was disgusted by these meetings.
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16 Responses
It is truly mind-boggling that anyone can forget and forgive what Antiochus did during Covid. Those who do so are certainly not leaders of the Jews, even if they happen to be Jewish.
Most Jews, especially non-frum ones, would vote for Hitler if he was running as a Democrat – so why should the Democrats oppose anti-Semitism? The Republicans hope to get enough Jews to switch to turn some “blue” districts “purple.” Also note that some of the anti-Semitism we complain about is actually opposition to all religion (i.e. militant secularism), and the Democrats feel that is a winning issue for them.
Nows the time to teach Cuomo the lesson he deserves!!
Let all see what happens. We saw what happened to him in ’21 and we’ll see it again now
I fully agree with the author regarding Cuomo.
no one is throwing adams under the bus , he is a great friend and yidelach have been tight with all the way thru,
whatever meetings with cuomo are with an understanding between both….
lemaaseh cuomo was very good to yiddeen for many years , COVID was a nightmare and the utter confusion from every side was part of the gezairah noraaah , as a choshuve rov in flatbush said ” i went from REBBI” to RODEF” in a day” by my own kehilla
I’m curious why you don’t sign your real name….What kind of “Community Leader” hides behind articles such as the one you wrote?
I don’t see ANY viable candidate, although I do agree that Adams is the least of the evils…but he fell FAR short in his time of Mayor! We need a viable candidate and none of the three are suitable for the Jewish Community. Mayor Adams has just made life in NYC more difficult – Sanitation citations have become more frequent with stupid rules of Composting, Porch thieves are rampant in ALL of NYC and crime in general has to be curbed!
Silly letter.
As has been our fate since we were exiled to this galus, we are in a position where we must do our hishtadlus to foment a good relationship with whomever is in power at that time.
This is true of the Abarbanel (Don Yitzchak Abravanel) in spain, of R’ Meir Shapiro in the Polish Sjem, and it is is true here in New Yowk.
The candidacy of Eric Adams is a doomed run.
The republicans too stand no chance.
That leaves Coumo.
We have to deal with it.
Not only that, but we have to support him, thus giving us some leverage, because if he loses, the next likely candidate is not Adams or Sleewah, its Zohran Mamdani.
And that would mean that the entire new york will look like a college campus palestinian protest
I definitely agree with this but what can you do when Cuomo is stopping by all the Jewish neighborhoods and synagogues even to speak on Shabbos, people don’t have the heart to shun him out to his face. But on Election Day I truly do hope they vote for Adams because although he’s not perfect and there’s just about nothing he could do about crime in NYC given its political climate and the thugs he has to put up with, he himself has never shied away from sticking up for us and Israel. We owe him gratitude for that and he deserves the communal vote. There is nothing Cuomo will be able to do different anyway so it’s a waste to vote for him
Could not agree more. Why support backstabbing Jew hater who has already shown his true colors? He will never have my vote, not after he had the Jewish communities on continuous lockdown even when other, more infected neighborhoods were wide open. He made our Jewish neighborhoods “red zones” without evidence , and caused much suffering for families.
While all the problems that you write about are true, Adams doesn’t stand a chance and supporting him would be a waste of our votes.
Adams has generated much dislike among the general public. Any retired city employee, and there are very many, won’t vote for someone trying to destroy their medical benefits.
Composting stinks! (pun intended). Also, corruption is appears to be there.
Cuomo is evil, and discounting Adams, everyone else in the Democratic race is so much worse.
What to do?
Hold your nose and vote for Cuomo in the primary and in the general election vote Republican.
I could not disagree more with this article. If anything the main reason I would vote for him is for his lockdown and other covid restrictions.
IMHO, such a letter needs to be signed by one’s real name, especially when calling out others for “cowardice”. With the message of this letter, though, I wholeheartedly agree.
They’re meeting with him? – wow. It’s amazing how they still have not learned the obvious lesson… The guy who killed your grandmother during Covid, and is to the left of Schumer.
These “Askonim” probably never for a moment regretted supporting Schumer – why should they? it surely was good money in everyone’s pockets…
Sariray, above, is absolutely got his/her finger on the right button. There is no way Adams can win. He’s ddoomed.But for us to cast our vote for the one who levied $1500 tickets unto Shuls that opened for Simchas Torah, long after the threats of Covid were past us AMONG ALL THE OTHER שלעכט he’s done to Yidin, we are not allowed to vote for him. Heaved forbid he wins, and it’s seeming quite likely, we’ll mend fences then. He cares not a bit about us.
WELL SAID!
Our community has no other choice but to vote for Mayor Adams.
For those who say he has no chance to win, you most likely don’t even bother to vote – so nobody asked you!
In addition to everything that you wrote about Cuomo, he also worked had to create the disaster of one-party rule in Albany, which allowed him to legalize Marijuana and the crazy bail-reform laws that have plagued NYS ever since.
Those who criticize Mayor Adams about crime are forgetting how his predecessor, the self avowed communist, Bill deBlasio, actively destroyed the morale of the police department and pursued closing the prison on Riker’s Island so that his developer friends could build new projects there.
What kind of a fool would want to close a prison on an ISLAND in favor of building new ones in each borough near where people live so that, as he said, “their relatives won’t have to travel that far to visit them”?
Mario Cuomo was a decent man and a not terrible governor, his son Andrew is the opposite.
Adams is a gigantic Lubavitcher Chusid, he has visited the grave of the Rebbi multiple times. Have his opponents been to the Rebbuh’s tomb?