Mamdani's Putting His Foot In It

 Nadene Goldfoot                                           

Anti-Semitic protester crowd at Park East Synagogue in New York City, November 19, 2025. (Luke Tress/Times of Israel)

New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani stated that a Manhattan synagogue's use of "sacred space" to host an event by Nefesh B'Nefesh, an organization facilitating Jewish immigration to Israel, potentially promoted activities in violation of international law.  The ICJ is full of poppycock !  They always rule against Israel.  

             We'll have Professor Kontorovich give Zohran a lesson on Israel and the international  law, being he's lawyer of international law.  Under international law, occupation occurs when a country takes over the sovereign territory of another country. But the West Bank was never part of Jordan, which seized it in 1949 and ethnically cleansed its entire Jewish population. Nor was it ever the site of an Arab Palestinian state.

After Matthew Kassel, a Jewish Insider reporter, pressed Mamdani’s team about what he meant, the latter said that it “was specifically in reference to the organization’s promotion of settlement activity beyond the Green Line,” which “violates international law,” Kassel wrote. (I wonder if they have been reading anything of the Oslo Accords and who has been breaking the law by building in Israel's part C (eastern side of Judah and Samaria) when they have part A and part B?  

                          Central Synagogue in Manhattan, NY.  

After anti-Israel activists demonstrated outside a synagogue holding an event promoting Jewish immigration to Israel, also known as aliyah, the protest – which included chants of 'death to the IDF' and 'globalize the intifada' – was widely condemned.

Dora Pekec, Zohran's press secretary, said, her boss “believes every New Yorker should be free to enter a house of worship without intimidation, and that these sacred spaces should not be used to promote activities in violation of international law.”

    The Grand Mufti visiting Hitler in 1941, talking about the Jews

The 200 protesters who reportedly shouted calls for violence against Jews, including a slogan that evoked Nazi beliefs, picketed an event organized by Nefesh B’Nefesh, encouraging Jews to move to Israel. Chanting "GLOBALIZE THE INTEFADA" puts chills up and down my back, reminding many of the Nazis.  That's what they had done without any Muslims involved, or wasn't there? 

Mark Goldfeder, CEO of the National Jewish Advocacy Center, responded to Mamdani, writing that “you are already failing on your commitment to protect all New Yorkers.”   

“An event to celebrate aliyah is not a violation of international law,” he said. “It is a protected First Amendment right, and what happened last night was a disgraceful violation of the FACE Act.” (The Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act of 1994 bars injuring, intimidating or interfering with people’s exercise of their right to religious worship.) 

 Our return to Israel is a commandment in the bible that very few Americans have followed, up to now.  (I made aliyah in 1980 but returned to the USA during Thanksgiving 1985) They didn't have such things as Nefesh B' Nefesh then. Nefesh B’Nefesh is a non-profit organization that facilitates and encourages Jewish immigration, or aliyah, to Israel, and provides pre- and post-aliyah support. They offer resources for navigating the bureaucratic process, connecting new immigrants to employment opportunities, and integrating into Israeli life. The organization also runs programs for Lone Soldiers and works on projects for workforce development and educational initiatatives.   They sponsor students staying in Israel for 4 months for the experience. 

 For instance, over 4,430 North Americans moved to Israel between October 7, 2023, and July 4, 2025. Between 7.3 to 7.5 million Jews lived in the USA by 2022.   In the full year of 2023, 3,020 individuals from North America made aliyah, with numbers showing significant increases in 2021 and a recent surge following the October 7th attack due to factors like increased antisemitism and a desire to support                               Israel. 

Some of the tribe of Manasseh made it to Israel several years ago.  The Bnei Menashe are estimated by Shavei Israel to number around 10,000; close to 3,000 have emigrated to Israel. In the early 21st century, Israel halted immigration by Bnei Menashe; it resumed after a change in government. The chief rabbi of Israel ruled in 2005 that the Bnei Menashe was recognized as part of a lost tribe, allowing aliyah after formal conversion. Yee gads, they were kidnapped by the Assyrians before the word "Jew" developed.  We were all Israelites then.  We are called Jews for the last of the 12 states;  Judea or Judah.  But they passed the rabbinical test;  probably better Jews than we Jews are today.        You can say that this is a part of the ingathering as prophesized in the Bible of the Jewish people from all corners of the earth.  You may not   know, but the latest are Jews of the tribe of Manasseh that have been living in India, part of the 10 Lost Tribes of Israel. They were just  flownover to Israel, 6,000 Jews unconnected to us for the past 2,000 years.  

This probably is just a taste of what Mamdani has in store for a minoritygroup like the Jewish people of New York. What he says affects all theanti-Semites and they act out.   

Resource:

https://www.timesofisrael.com/a-crowd-chanted-death-threats-outside-an-nyc-synagogue-mamdani-found-fault-with-both-sides/

https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/2025-11-21/ty-article/.premium/mamdani-faces-backlash-for-saying-aliyah-event-promotes-violation-of-international-law/0000019a-a6e4-d67f-adbe-fee756de0000

https://www.jns.org/nefesh-bnefesh-event-violation-of-international-law-mamdani-says/#:~:text=After%20Matthew%20Kassel%2C%20a%20Jewish,confines%20of%20the%2019%20Precinct.

https://claudemariottini.com/2018/11/14/the-lost-tribe-of-manasseh/

So Goes Our Kosher Delis of New York With Jewish Rye

 Nadene Goldfoot                   

Watch out New York, you might find your Jewish Delis being attacked by not serving Jewish rye as part of their Pastrami sandwiches!  That has already happened to me eating a rye and Pastrami sandwich with that swirly-looking dark bread name unknown.  It wasn't half as good, either. Mustard and pickles go with a pastrami sandwich on Jewish rye.  

                                               

   Kosher Deli from 1950's in south Williamsburg, New York, one of many

Rye bread is considered "Jewish" because it was a staple in Eastern European Jewish communities, and immigrant bakers brought the tradition to the United States. Rye bread originated in Eastern Europe, where rye grain thrived in cold, harsh climates that were less suitable for wheat.  

It became a hallmark of Jewish American deli culture, known for specific characteristics like the use of caraway seeds and an egg wash, though its actual rye content often decreased over time in the U.S.   For Ashkenazi Jews, rye bread became a dietary essential—nutritious, affordable, and perfect for Shabbat meals or weekday sustenance. Immigrants brought their love of rye to the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and it quickly became a hallmark of Jewish American food culture.   This hearty, slightly tangy staple has been a cornerstone of Jewish delis, the perfect partner to corned beef, pastrami, or lox, and a timeless favorite for generations. But where did it come from?

      

Out here in Oregon, we have labeled, "Jewish rye" bread, knowingly a littledifferent from other ryes.  Notice in the picture above that it is a lighterrye.  So, the easy answer is that a rye bread is “Jewish” if one could routinely find it on the shelves of the bakeries that anchored Jewish neighborhoods in New York Boston, Chicago, Miami, Los Angeles and everywhere else eastern European Jews settled. Usually, that bread was some variation on the light, caraway-seeded ryes or the dark, artificially-colored pumpernickels that most people think of as “Jewish.” 

                                      

This is a corned beef on rye at Judah's  in Portland, and if it hasn't

moved yet is at:  Judah's Delicatessen is located at 5235 NE Sandy Blvd. in Portland, OR 97213. It is a food cart in the Rose City Food Park, a deli in the Rose City Park neighborhood of Northeast Portland. (Our old Jewish neighborhood was in the SW side)  Same thing that

happened to New York has happened to Portland in Jewish neighborhoods.  

  The number of traditional kosher delis in New York has significantly declined due to a combination of economic and demographic factors, such as rising rents, high meat costs, and a suburban migration of Jewish populations. While many classic delis have closed, some are adapting by offering modern takes on Jewish food, while others, like Liebman's Deli, continue to operate as traditional establishments. 

Jews are worried about New York's new mayor.  Mamdani's campaign was animated by an array of local economic issues. But in Israel, his pro-Palestinian platform is all that matters.  Jerusalem:

The election of Zohran Mamdani as New York City's next mayor has sent a chill across Israel as people come to terms with the victory of a politician propelled by an outspoken pro-Palestinian message that is rare in US politics.  Israelis across the political spectrum fear that Mamdani's election -- in the city with the world's second-largest Jewish population — could foreshadow icier relations with the US, Israel's most important ally.  Support for Mamdani from almost one-third of Jewish voters only added to the pain.  “Very bad,” said Hana Jaeger, a Jerusalem resident, assessing the news the day after the election. “For the Jews, for Israel, for everyone, it's very bad. What else can you say?”

Jews had been slowly moving out of New York and others moved in that weren't Jewish.  Now those that are left are not able to keep the kosher delis open.  "The number of traditional kosher delis in New York has significantly declined due to a combination of economic and demographic factors, such as rising rents, high meat costs, and a suburban migration of Jewish populations. While many classic delis have closed, some are adapting by offering modern takes on Jewish food, while others, like Liebman's Deli, continue to operate as traditional establishments." 

• "Demographic changes: After World War II, many Jewish New Yorkers moved to the suburbs, leading to a decline in the dense Jewish neighborhoods that supported many delis."

Research:

Wikipedia

https://www.myjewishlearning.com/the-nosher/what-makes-rye-bread-jewish/#:~:text=The%20easy%20answer%20is%20that,think%20of%20as%20%E2%80%9CJewish.%E2%80%9D

https://www.google.com/search?q=what%27s+happened+to+kosher+delis+in+New+York%3F&sca_esv=3305bec65bd7fec6&sxsrf=AE3TifOn5dwQJeHMr_1lcaljRQeK4brCew%3A1763128241355&source=hp&ei=sTMXabKxE_-V0PEPtJfruQQ&iflsig

https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/zohran-mamdani-very-bad-for-jews-israelis-react-to-mamdani-being-next-new-york-mayor-9597630

Morning After Weird Election

 Nadene Goldfoot                                              

Prominent Jewish leaders have labeled the surging mayoral candidate antisemitic, which he refutes.   Zohran Mamdani rallies in the Capitol in 2024 for his bill that bans donations to many charities supporting Israel. | Zachary Schulman

Mamdani won!  In a state where 9/11 took place only 25 years ago!!!

“I’m worried about the indoctrination of kids hating Israel, thinking that Israel is a pariah, thinking that Israel commits genocide, something that Zohran has gone around saying for two years,”  said Moshe Spern, who runs a group that supports Jewish teachers in the city and volunteered for the Cuomo campaign, said he fears the effects of education under a Mamdani administration.   

50% of the Jewish population voted for Mamdani.  Hamas and other terror groups congratulated him.  

Allison Josephs from New York's Jew in the City  on ILTV let us know that this must be a message for the Jews to get out of New York.  She's thinking of moving to Israel seriously now.

 She found this program showing Jews being bullies.  For a program built to teach empathy, respect, and inclusion, this portrayal cuts against its core purpose. When the sole Jewish character in a curriculum on kindness is cast as a bully, it not only reinforces antisemitic tropes that Jews are the oppressors in the oppressor/oppressed model, but also risks alienating Jewish students in classrooms meant to model tolerance. That's how it is lately in New York City; bad for Jews.  

 Many businesses are also thinking of leaving taking their business elsewhere, and the staff as well, like to Texas or Florida.  They're thinking not of religion but of taxes and a socialist mayor.  

My thoughts and findingsthis morning:    Update 5:30am 11/5/25: Mamdani won, even with Trump behind Cuomo., and I hope for all of us 

that he will keep his promise of ridding New York of anti-semitism;  however,

he will be the first Shi'a Muslim who will have all Jews in New York available

through the web, phone, etc, and he will know where they are.  Just hope

no Iman calls for a Jihhad against Jews.  Mamdani was not born in the 

States, you know, but Uganda.He missed New York's Kindergarten.   

Sorry to be so leery of a Shi'a Muslim at the

head, but we are at war with Iran and it is a Shi'a country.  

What Mamdani has expressed that causes alarm:

1.Refusal to sign or co-sponsor resolutions condemning the Holocaust and honoring Israel: Zohran Mamdani was one of five state assembly members who did not sign two resolutions condemning the Holocaust and honoring Israel's Independence Day in 2025. His campaign stated it was a "blanket policy" not to sign resolutions emailed to his office, but critics pointed out he had signed other types of resolutions and viewed this as evidence of a troubling trend.

2. Defense of the phrase "globalize the intifada": Zohran Mamdani defended the use of this phrase by arguing it reflects a "desperate desire for equality" and noting the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum had used the word "intifada" (Arabic for "shaking off" or "uprising") in an Arabic translation of an article on the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. Jewish organizations and leaders, including the USHMM, condemned this comparison and stated that the term is widely understood to refer to periods of violent Palestinian attacks, including suicide bombings against Israeli civilians, and that "globalizing the intifada" is seen as a call to global violence against Jews.

3. Sponsorship of the "Not on Our Dime!" Act: Zohran Mamdani is the prime sponsor of legislation that would effectively ban Israeli charities from supporting the Israeli military or settlement activity. Sixty-six assembly members signed a letter calling the bill a "ploy to demonize Jewish charities" and attack organizations with wide-ranging missions like providing medical care or feeding the poor.

                                                 Iran is still a threat

• Global Threats: Israeli intelligence (Mossad) has recently revealed that Iran has expanded its efforts to target Israeli and Jewish interests worldwide, thwarting dozens of attack channels across Europe and Australia in the past year.
• Nuclear Posturing: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi claimed the world saw only a fraction of Iran's power during the June 2025 conflict and warned Iran is now "even more prepared for any potential new conflict," while denying its nuclear program poses an imminent threat.
• War with the US: Senior Iranian officials, including former IRGC commander Major General Mohsen Rezaei, have stated that if Israel initiates a war, Iran will also enter a war with the United States.

Resource:

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/06/22/critics-say-zohran-mamdani-is-antisemitic-he-says-hes-simply-holding-israel-accountable-00416388

https://www.timesofisrael.com/pit-in-my-stomach-as-cuomo-concedes-jewish-supporters-torn-apart-by-mamdani-win/

https://jewinthecity.com/2025/11/leading-sel-resource-depicts-jewish-child-as-bully-raising-concerns-amid-nyc-election/

https://israel-nadene.blogspot.com/2025/11/they-are-called-progressive-jews-but.html

https://prospect.org/2025/10/30/mamdani-and-the-jews/

https://www.fpri.org/article/2010/05/shiism-what-students-need-to-know/