NEW YORK (Press Release) –Seriously alarmed by the dangerous rhetoric being spouted by New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, more than 650 rabbis from across the United States have signed a new open letter, “A Rabbinic Call to Action: Defending the Jewish Future,” expressing alarm at Mamdani’s rhetoric and urging political leaders to affirm Israel’s right to exist and reject rising anti-Zionist language that threatens Jewish communities.
“As rabbis from across the United States committed to the security and prosperity of the Jewish people, we are writing in our personal capacities to declare that we cannot remain silent in the face of rising anti-Zionism and its political normalization throughout our nation,” wrote the rabbis, specifically calling out Mamdani’s refusal to condemn violent slogans, denial of Israel’s legitimacy, and accusation that the Jewish state committed genocide. “We will not accept a culture that treats Jewish self-determination as a negotiable ideal or Jewish inclusion as something to be ‘granted.’ The safety and dignity of Jews in every city depend on rejecting that false choice.”
Signatories include the leaders of some of the largest synagogues in New York City, including, Rabbi Joshua Davidson, senior rabbi at Temple Emanu-El; Rabbi David Gelfand, senior rabbi at Temple Israel of the City of New York; Rabbi Chaim Steinmetz, senior rabbi at Kehilath Jeshurun; Rabbi David Ingber, founder of Romemu and senior director of Jewish Life and the Bronfman Center at 92NY; and Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch, president of the New York Board of Rabbis and Senior rabbi of Stephen Wise Free Synagogue. Other nationally-recognized leaders include Rabbi David Wolpe, Rabbi Peter Berg, Rabbi Denise Eger, Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback, Rabbi Nicole Guzik and Rabbi Elaine Zecher.
There were 97 California rabbis listed as signatories with 17 identified as coming from San Diego County. The local rabbis, active, retired, and a rabbinical student, listed were Richard Agler, Mark Ankcon, Gabriella Arad, Arlene Bernstein, David Castiglione, Matthew Earne, David Frank, Robert Friedman, Jeremy Gimbel, Lisa Rothstein Goldberg, Philip Graubart, Marty Lawson, Avi Libman, Devorah Marcus, Jason Nevarez, Michael Leo Samuel, and Ron Shulman.
The letter calls out the growing normalization of language that demonizes Israel and undermines Jewish self-determination, quoting New York Board of Rabbis President Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch as saying that such rhetoric is used to “Delegitimize the Jewish community and encourage and exacerbate hostility toward Judaism and Jews.”
The rabbis emphasize that for the vast majority of Jews, Zionism is as integral to Jewish identity as religious observance. “When public figures refuse to condemn violent slogans or question Israel’s legitimacy, they not only distort the truth — they embolden antisemitism,” the letter states. Quoting Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove of New York’s Park Avenue Synagogue’s recent anti-Mamdani sermon, the signatories reaffirm that “Zionism, Israel, and Jewish self-determination are not political preferences but inseparable strands of Jewish identity.”
The rabbis urge Americans of all faiths and political affiliations to stand with the Jewish community by supporting candidates who reject antisemitic and anti-Zionist rhetoric, and who affirm Israel’s right to exist in peace and security. They also urge interfaith leaders to defend the principles of equality, dignity, and peace that underpin both Judaism and democracy.
This unprecedented statement demonstrates the unity and moral clarity of the American rabbinate amid growing polarization. By affirming Zionism as central to Jewish identity and self-determination, these rabbis call on public leaders to meet the urgency of this moment with courage, conviction, and a renewed commitment to the safety and dignity of the Jewish people everywhere.
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Preceding provided by The Jewish Majority