Lindsay and Mamdani have way more in common than you let on, certainly when it comes to the level of privilege to which they were born. But my question is how exactly you define and draw the distinction between liberal and progressive, either historically or in the present. I don’t know how much I’d necessarily disagree with it, as someone who identifies in theory as a liberal (and socialist!) as opposed to a progressive I may even share your taxonomy intellectually more than in my kishkes, but I’m still confused by it.
I am a democratic socialist in the mold of George Orwell, Kurt Vonnegut, Tony Judt, and John Gray. Unlike the Maoists who call themselves Democratic Socialists of America I believe in the Bill of Rights and that civilization is good and worth defending.
Thanks for a great piece Shaul. I have just one comment. You refer to American Jews' "rhetoric" of feeling afraid and unsafe, but I'm not sure that's the best way to describe what we’re seeing. I think it's very likely that the feelings are real, not just rhetorical. Having grown up in a North American Jewish community, I saw how the trauma of the holocaust and the history of persecution fed into real fears, and I still see the same thing when I talk to other Jews today.
One of my concerns here is that when we dismiss others' feelings as rhetorical and not genuine, we are essentially suggesting that they are arguing in bad faith. But that's a very hard position for dialogue to move forward from. And in this case, I myself am convinced that the claims are honest, that the feelings are real and not primarily a strategy to gain sympathy or provoke outrage. Personally, Mamdani makes me feel hopeful, not fearful, but that doesn't preclude the possibility that he makes others afraid. If we take the time to understand that fear, not dismiss it as disingenuous, we can come to a better picture of where others are coming from.
When someone like Cuomo shamelessly and transparently uses fear as a way of manipulating voters, that’s a different story, but I don’t think this is the best way to understand what we’re seeing within Jewish communities.
Hi Shaul, I enjoy your Substack and I appreciated your historical framing.
I played at an interfaith event last night. The panel included Rabbi Cosgrove and Cardinal Dolan. When the moderator mentioned Christians being killed in Nigeria, the Muslim scholar on stage joked that perhaps “the Chinese” were behind it. He laughed — and the panel and audience simply let it pass. No pushback at all.
As the only Asian Jew in the room, I watched how easily a scapegoat could be named and dismissed — even in a space dedicated to “peace” and moral leadership. If the scapegoat had been a different group, the reaction would have been very different. We cannot demand others care about Jewish dignity if we silently allow Asian dignity to be devalued.
So my question is: If Jewish leaders allow the diminishing of Asians to pass without objection, what does that mean for how we understand solidarity now?
I'm new here and so glad to find your most intriguing posts on Substack! It's stimulating here- maybe someday Naomi will join, but she is too busy watching TikTok...
Thank you for stating this clearly Shaul. I am of the belief that the accusation of antisemitism by Mamdani is born out of nothing but Islamophobia. No part of his campaign has communicated to me that he wishes harm onto the Jewish people, especially the Jewish people of New York. Cuomo's campaign, however, was explicitly full of hatred, down to accusing Mamdani of being a terrorist. I think the truth cannot be clearer right now, but time and time again I am blown away by the way antisemitism is weaponized and used to spread other forms of hate. Thank you, again, for engaging in this dialogue and pointing out some very plain truths.
Please define terms in today’s world: what is “zionism”? What does it mean to be an anti-Zionist? What does the term “Jewish state” mean — was Mamdani referring to the Israeli Knesset law of 2018, downgrading Arab-Israelis to being legally second class citizens, thus destroying the possibility that Israel might be regarded as being a democratic state? What did Mamdani mean by calling for a “global intifada” - was he speaking from a state of the Arab speaking world in which the word “intifada” does not at imply violence; if so, Mamdani was foolish in forgetting that currently the word includes violence in people’s minds b/c of the two Palestinian intifadas. And so on ….
Mamdani has never called for global intifada. He only said he understands why some people do, and his refusal to demonize people has been seized upon by fear mongering opponents.
I also came of age in New York City around 1968. The School Strike not only reflected tensions between the Jewish and Afro-American communities, it also marked a sharp split among Jews - especially on the left. Families and long-friendships were strained and broken as some supported the union and other the school district. The difference between what is happening now and then is that the Jews on the opposite sides of the anti-Gaza potests and the Mamdani campaign lack the connections that New York Jews mostly took for granted then.
My guess is that the Mamdani mayorality will lead to a long period of decline just as the Lindsay mayorality led the way to the near bankrupcy of the city in the seventies. I hope I'm wrong but I think Mamdani will be a disaster fot the city as a whole. Jews will suffer along with Muslims and everyone else.
asked myself more than " Why do I keep reading things by Shaul Magid"? Maybe it's the lure of a Devil's Advocate? That is, I'm hoping one day to discover that he really doesn't believe in the views expressed in his writing.
One of the best pieces I've read on this topic. I think there are two issues to consider here. One - any minority (in numbers) will always be at risk. Any non-dominant population will always be at a disadvantage. Its why I have always felt an active pursuit of the ideals of a liberal democracy is the only pathway to ensure those outside of the dominant population / power circle are assured of full rights and sharing of power in a society without an asterisk.
But the other issue is the fact that the State of Israel - while it contains a number of communities, of which one is its dominant population, who are Jews, It is not a community in itself - it is a state. And being a small state, it will look to who is the most powerful entity on the global stage in determining who it aligns with. And that may not(and probably will not) always be the U.S. What happens when Israel - the state - decides it is more to their advantage to switch alignment from the U.S. to our rival/ adversary?
It works on many levels for Israel to meld Judaism/ the wider Jewish community with the state of Israel. It works for a lot of evangelicals to do the same. But neither the state of Israel, not its citizens, nor evangelical Christians who are at the forefront in elevating such a conflation as a weapon against liberal Jews will be caught in the cross currents when such a change happens.
How does one wrestle with interpreting one's identity in relationship to a state when it has become so intertwined both historically and spiritually with the entity/ identity of a state?
While Kahane was mistaken about the prevalence of anti-Semitism in the 1960s (there was some, as there always is), it has become a significant issue in today's society. Back then, Ivy League schools had a Jewish population ranging from 20% to 40%. Now, that figure has dropped to between 5% and 10%. Why is that the case? In the 1960s, Jews were not attacked on the streets of New York, Washington, or Pittsburgh. Today, every synagogue has security guards and police presence outside.
Regarding Mamdani, he was elected primarily for his youth and charm, rather than his experience. It's true that about one-third of New York's Jewish population supported him. I don't believe he will act against Jews, but they may find themselves excluded from his administration unless they hold anti-Zionist views. Additionally, I expect he will sever any existing ties between New York City and Israel, including connections with the Technion. It's likely that he will push the city-run pension funds to divest from Israeli companies.
So I have one more question for you did Jews attack Palestinians in New York City after Oct 7? Did the Jews demand they go back where they came from?
So yes, I never worried about anti-Semitism when I went to Wisconsin or lived briefly in Boston. While I did experience it in both places, it feels different now. I worry for my children—will they be able to advance, or will the graduates of Mamdani’s father, steeped in “post-colonialism,” decide that the Jews are the oppressors?
Just a short comment. Jews in Ivy League schools never hit 40%. Mostly in the 20s at the height. Maybe a bit more at Columbia. The diminishing of the % is not a result of antisemitism, this has been researched at various schools. It is more likely a combination of DEI plus lower test scores of Jewish students. So for example since DEI was abolished at Harvard for admissions, the Asian student population rose to 40% of the undergraduate student body and the Jewish population remained about the same.
Thank you for responding. While college attendance was not my main interest, both Penn and Columbia were near 40% in the 80s, and they went into the 90s. Jewish test scores are not declining; however, the current pro-Palestinian protests are receiving significant publicity that is driving some Jews away. As an older grad student in Middle Eastern studies, I see the problems in the classroom firsthand, and you don’t have to be a Zionist to recognize them.
More important was my last paragraph about the current rise of real anti-Semitism. It's real, and it's coming from both the left and the right. As my father told me long ago, the far right and the far left agree about Jews.
I can only speak from where I teach, and at Harvard Divinity School we admitted more Jewish students the past two years then in many decades before, and Jewish applications have increased every year for the past three years. In terms of test scores, I disagree, there was an article in The Forward some years ago that provided some data on this issue. Jewish high school students today are not performing the wat they did 40 or 50 years ago. Jared Kushner is not Ruth Bader Ginsburg. I will also say that at least at Harvard the latest data showed over 50% of the white students (that includes Jews) are legacies which is just a form of "white affirmative action." In terms of the rise in antisemitism, I don't disagree, but as opposed to Mr. Greenblatt those of us who actually work on this issue investigate context, history, and the delicate work of defining and understanding rather than weaponizing.
We finally agree Jared Kushner is not in the same league as Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Mr. Greenblatt would do us all a favor by leaving his post. As for legacies, as much as I agree that they are unfair (and my daughter was technically one at Princeton, although she was an A++ applicant in any event), I am inclined to accept it for big-time donors (which I was not). I know it's not fair, and we know life isn't fair — as an 11-year-old immigrant, my first dinner in America was on my suitcase.
Is it possible that 1 million people voting for Mamdani is proof that the city has embraced his radical views on Israel, Jews, wealth and western culture?? People do not turn out in record numbers without purpose. Unfortunately, for Jewish New Yorkers and elsewhere, his rallying call and victory does not bode well for them. Watch who’s cheering and how far away and where the cheers are coming from. It’s the scariest time to be a Jew since the Holocaust. You might find articles and historical proof to make your case that he is not antisemitic , but the antisemitism in Mandami’s explicit and unforgiving implicit public comments he has made,causes many to live with the undeniable perception of most Jews current reality; FEAR!!!!
Mamdani's entire campaign was about lowering the cost of living in New York. As a Jew, I think this is one of the better times to be alive. If you are considering his sympathy for the Palestinian plight as antisemitism, I challenge you to consider the fact that a nation-state is not a people, and war crimes should not go unnoticed. Condemning war crimes should not offend you.
Jewish New Yorkers should abandon “othering” themselves first. Not everything is about them and frankly it doesn’t have to be neither should they expect the rest of the residents of New York owe them anything when New York Jews are hell bent in making it clear they don’t owe anyone anything.
I think this is a great point for dialogue, because it is a strange polarity. But, for myself, I believe that what is dangerous for Jews is people like Fuentes, who make "The Jews" a character to critique. And I also believe that people like Mamdani are actively fighting against forces like Fuentes, Mamdani is openly against MAGA and the alt-right responsible for bringing a new generation of holocaust deniers. I think you put it correctly when you called this upset over the election as "hysteria."
I agree that nobody (and certainly the majority of Jews in the US) experience fear as some sort of rational analysis. That’s not how human or other mammal nervous systems work. The thing that I’m disappointed about in many of my fellow Jews is that they don’t go beyond emotional response to interrogate the causes of that fear. It’s as if “this scares me” is the analysis and the trigger for that fear must be removed rather than wondering why they’re having the intense emotional response. Of course this isn’t limited to Jews but in the case of US Jews it has translated into ongoing support of the Gaza genocide and “Israel at all costs”. If I considered my fears to be facts I’d be advocating for assassinations of Trump, Stephen Miller and many other MAGA regime figures. Which I’m emphatically NOT advocating.
Lindsay and Mamdani have way more in common than you let on, certainly when it comes to the level of privilege to which they were born. But my question is how exactly you define and draw the distinction between liberal and progressive, either historically or in the present. I don’t know how much I’d necessarily disagree with it, as someone who identifies in theory as a liberal (and socialist!) as opposed to a progressive I may even share your taxonomy intellectually more than in my kishkes, but I’m still confused by it.
I am a democratic socialist in the mold of George Orwell, Kurt Vonnegut, Tony Judt, and John Gray. Unlike the Maoists who call themselves Democratic Socialists of America I believe in the Bill of Rights and that civilization is good and worth defending.
I’m confused by your question. You identify as liberal and socialist? Where do you draw the line between liberal and progressive?
Thanks for a great piece Shaul. I have just one comment. You refer to American Jews' "rhetoric" of feeling afraid and unsafe, but I'm not sure that's the best way to describe what we’re seeing. I think it's very likely that the feelings are real, not just rhetorical. Having grown up in a North American Jewish community, I saw how the trauma of the holocaust and the history of persecution fed into real fears, and I still see the same thing when I talk to other Jews today.
One of my concerns here is that when we dismiss others' feelings as rhetorical and not genuine, we are essentially suggesting that they are arguing in bad faith. But that's a very hard position for dialogue to move forward from. And in this case, I myself am convinced that the claims are honest, that the feelings are real and not primarily a strategy to gain sympathy or provoke outrage. Personally, Mamdani makes me feel hopeful, not fearful, but that doesn't preclude the possibility that he makes others afraid. If we take the time to understand that fear, not dismiss it as disingenuous, we can come to a better picture of where others are coming from.
When someone like Cuomo shamelessly and transparently uses fear as a way of manipulating voters, that’s a different story, but I don’t think this is the best way to understand what we’re seeing within Jewish communities.
Hi Shaul, I enjoy your Substack and I appreciated your historical framing.
I played at an interfaith event last night. The panel included Rabbi Cosgrove and Cardinal Dolan. When the moderator mentioned Christians being killed in Nigeria, the Muslim scholar on stage joked that perhaps “the Chinese” were behind it. He laughed — and the panel and audience simply let it pass. No pushback at all.
As the only Asian Jew in the room, I watched how easily a scapegoat could be named and dismissed — even in a space dedicated to “peace” and moral leadership. If the scapegoat had been a different group, the reaction would have been very different. We cannot demand others care about Jewish dignity if we silently allow Asian dignity to be devalued.
So my question is: If Jewish leaders allow the diminishing of Asians to pass without objection, what does that mean for how we understand solidarity now?
Hi Meg. Thanks and excellent question. I wish I had an answer! Hugs to Sam!
Hi Shaul!
I'm new here and so glad to find your most intriguing posts on Substack! It's stimulating here- maybe someday Naomi will join, but she is too busy watching TikTok...
Shalom,
Send her my best, she'll probably learn more there!
Thank you for stating this clearly Shaul. I am of the belief that the accusation of antisemitism by Mamdani is born out of nothing but Islamophobia. No part of his campaign has communicated to me that he wishes harm onto the Jewish people, especially the Jewish people of New York. Cuomo's campaign, however, was explicitly full of hatred, down to accusing Mamdani of being a terrorist. I think the truth cannot be clearer right now, but time and time again I am blown away by the way antisemitism is weaponized and used to spread other forms of hate. Thank you, again, for engaging in this dialogue and pointing out some very plain truths.
Please define terms in today’s world: what is “zionism”? What does it mean to be an anti-Zionist? What does the term “Jewish state” mean — was Mamdani referring to the Israeli Knesset law of 2018, downgrading Arab-Israelis to being legally second class citizens, thus destroying the possibility that Israel might be regarded as being a democratic state? What did Mamdani mean by calling for a “global intifada” - was he speaking from a state of the Arab speaking world in which the word “intifada” does not at imply violence; if so, Mamdani was foolish in forgetting that currently the word includes violence in people’s minds b/c of the two Palestinian intifadas. And so on ….
Mamdani has never called for global intifada. He only said he understands why some people do, and his refusal to demonize people has been seized upon by fear mongering opponents.
I also came of age in New York City around 1968. The School Strike not only reflected tensions between the Jewish and Afro-American communities, it also marked a sharp split among Jews - especially on the left. Families and long-friendships were strained and broken as some supported the union and other the school district. The difference between what is happening now and then is that the Jews on the opposite sides of the anti-Gaza potests and the Mamdani campaign lack the connections that New York Jews mostly took for granted then.
My guess is that the Mamdani mayorality will lead to a long period of decline just as the Lindsay mayorality led the way to the near bankrupcy of the city in the seventies. I hope I'm wrong but I think Mamdani will be a disaster fot the city as a whole. Jews will suffer along with Muslims and everyone else.
There has never been a question that I 've
asked myself more than " Why do I keep reading things by Shaul Magid"? Maybe it's the lure of a Devil's Advocate? That is, I'm hoping one day to discover that he really doesn't believe in the views expressed in his writing.
I'll solve that for you. I do. ;)
One of the best pieces I've read on this topic. I think there are two issues to consider here. One - any minority (in numbers) will always be at risk. Any non-dominant population will always be at a disadvantage. Its why I have always felt an active pursuit of the ideals of a liberal democracy is the only pathway to ensure those outside of the dominant population / power circle are assured of full rights and sharing of power in a society without an asterisk.
But the other issue is the fact that the State of Israel - while it contains a number of communities, of which one is its dominant population, who are Jews, It is not a community in itself - it is a state. And being a small state, it will look to who is the most powerful entity on the global stage in determining who it aligns with. And that may not(and probably will not) always be the U.S. What happens when Israel - the state - decides it is more to their advantage to switch alignment from the U.S. to our rival/ adversary?
It works on many levels for Israel to meld Judaism/ the wider Jewish community with the state of Israel. It works for a lot of evangelicals to do the same. But neither the state of Israel, not its citizens, nor evangelical Christians who are at the forefront in elevating such a conflation as a weapon against liberal Jews will be caught in the cross currents when such a change happens.
How does one wrestle with interpreting one's identity in relationship to a state when it has become so intertwined both historically and spiritually with the entity/ identity of a state?
While Kahane was mistaken about the prevalence of anti-Semitism in the 1960s (there was some, as there always is), it has become a significant issue in today's society. Back then, Ivy League schools had a Jewish population ranging from 20% to 40%. Now, that figure has dropped to between 5% and 10%. Why is that the case? In the 1960s, Jews were not attacked on the streets of New York, Washington, or Pittsburgh. Today, every synagogue has security guards and police presence outside.
Regarding Mamdani, he was elected primarily for his youth and charm, rather than his experience. It's true that about one-third of New York's Jewish population supported him. I don't believe he will act against Jews, but they may find themselves excluded from his administration unless they hold anti-Zionist views. Additionally, I expect he will sever any existing ties between New York City and Israel, including connections with the Technion. It's likely that he will push the city-run pension funds to divest from Israeli companies.
So I have one more question for you did Jews attack Palestinians in New York City after Oct 7? Did the Jews demand they go back where they came from?
So yes, I never worried about anti-Semitism when I went to Wisconsin or lived briefly in Boston. While I did experience it in both places, it feels different now. I worry for my children—will they be able to advance, or will the graduates of Mamdani’s father, steeped in “post-colonialism,” decide that the Jews are the oppressors?
Just a short comment. Jews in Ivy League schools never hit 40%. Mostly in the 20s at the height. Maybe a bit more at Columbia. The diminishing of the % is not a result of antisemitism, this has been researched at various schools. It is more likely a combination of DEI plus lower test scores of Jewish students. So for example since DEI was abolished at Harvard for admissions, the Asian student population rose to 40% of the undergraduate student body and the Jewish population remained about the same.
Thank you for responding. While college attendance was not my main interest, both Penn and Columbia were near 40% in the 80s, and they went into the 90s. Jewish test scores are not declining; however, the current pro-Palestinian protests are receiving significant publicity that is driving some Jews away. As an older grad student in Middle Eastern studies, I see the problems in the classroom firsthand, and you don’t have to be a Zionist to recognize them.
More important was my last paragraph about the current rise of real anti-Semitism. It's real, and it's coming from both the left and the right. As my father told me long ago, the far right and the far left agree about Jews.
I can only speak from where I teach, and at Harvard Divinity School we admitted more Jewish students the past two years then in many decades before, and Jewish applications have increased every year for the past three years. In terms of test scores, I disagree, there was an article in The Forward some years ago that provided some data on this issue. Jewish high school students today are not performing the wat they did 40 or 50 years ago. Jared Kushner is not Ruth Bader Ginsburg. I will also say that at least at Harvard the latest data showed over 50% of the white students (that includes Jews) are legacies which is just a form of "white affirmative action." In terms of the rise in antisemitism, I don't disagree, but as opposed to Mr. Greenblatt those of us who actually work on this issue investigate context, history, and the delicate work of defining and understanding rather than weaponizing.
We finally agree Jared Kushner is not in the same league as Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Mr. Greenblatt would do us all a favor by leaving his post. As for legacies, as much as I agree that they are unfair (and my daughter was technically one at Princeton, although she was an A++ applicant in any event), I am inclined to accept it for big-time donors (which I was not). I know it's not fair, and we know life isn't fair — as an 11-year-old immigrant, my first dinner in America was on my suitcase.
Is it possible that 1 million people voting for Mamdani is proof that the city has embraced his radical views on Israel, Jews, wealth and western culture?? People do not turn out in record numbers without purpose. Unfortunately, for Jewish New Yorkers and elsewhere, his rallying call and victory does not bode well for them. Watch who’s cheering and how far away and where the cheers are coming from. It’s the scariest time to be a Jew since the Holocaust. You might find articles and historical proof to make your case that he is not antisemitic , but the antisemitism in Mandami’s explicit and unforgiving implicit public comments he has made,causes many to live with the undeniable perception of most Jews current reality; FEAR!!!!
Mamdani's entire campaign was about lowering the cost of living in New York. As a Jew, I think this is one of the better times to be alive. If you are considering his sympathy for the Palestinian plight as antisemitism, I challenge you to consider the fact that a nation-state is not a people, and war crimes should not go unnoticed. Condemning war crimes should not offend you.
Jewish New Yorkers should abandon “othering” themselves first. Not everything is about them and frankly it doesn’t have to be neither should they expect the rest of the residents of New York owe them anything when New York Jews are hell bent in making it clear they don’t owe anyone anything.
I think this is a great point for dialogue, because it is a strange polarity. But, for myself, I believe that what is dangerous for Jews is people like Fuentes, who make "The Jews" a character to critique. And I also believe that people like Mamdani are actively fighting against forces like Fuentes, Mamdani is openly against MAGA and the alt-right responsible for bringing a new generation of holocaust deniers. I think you put it correctly when you called this upset over the election as "hysteria."
I agree that nobody (and certainly the majority of Jews in the US) experience fear as some sort of rational analysis. That’s not how human or other mammal nervous systems work. The thing that I’m disappointed about in many of my fellow Jews is that they don’t go beyond emotional response to interrogate the causes of that fear. It’s as if “this scares me” is the analysis and the trigger for that fear must be removed rather than wondering why they’re having the intense emotional response. Of course this isn’t limited to Jews but in the case of US Jews it has translated into ongoing support of the Gaza genocide and “Israel at all costs”. If I considered my fears to be facts I’d be advocating for assassinations of Trump, Stephen Miller and many other MAGA regime figures. Which I’m emphatically NOT advocating.