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Eric Fingerhut, the president and CEO of the Jewish Federations of North America, told Ynet that New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s “descriptions of Israel, the prime minister of Israel and Zionism hurt the Jewish community, which is Zionist.” “There is no question that his statements and behavior contribute to the increase in violence,” Fingerhut told Ynet. “His statements and actions have incited and contributed to incitement to violence.”

Central Synagogue rally: A small group of people rallied Wednesday outside of Central Synagogue in Manhattan, where last week a man disrupted Shabbat services and struck a 63-year-old congregant as well as a security guard. “It’s not just about this synagogue. It’s about all synagogues. It’s not just about this act of violence. It’s about the string of violence that has been happening across the city and really across the country,” Daniel Rosen of the Jewish advocacy group Impact, which organized the rally, told CBS News. “The message is that it’s up to me and it’s up to you. It’s up to all of us. And you don’t have to be Jewish to care about people being attacked.”

Synagogue attacker hit with federal hate crime charges: The man accused of disrupting services at Central Synagogue, Larry Montes, was charged by the Department of Justice with two counts of committing hate crimes, each of which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, and one count of damage to religious property resulting in bodily injury, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

Deli comeback: Carnegie Deli, a historic New York City mainstay for Jewish foods that closed down in 2016, has announced it is making a comeback after nearly a decade. “The sign is up. The secret is out. Carnegie Deli is coming soon to Midtown Manhattan,” the deli said in an Instagram post Monday.

Survivor scam: New York Gov. Kathy Hochul issued a consumer warning to Holocaust survivors and their families following unsolicited fraudulent correspondence from an entity referring to itself as the “Jewish Holocaust Claims Center.” “Scamming and stealing from Holocaust survivors and their families is the lowest of lows,” Hochul said in a statement. “This program delivers justice to Holocaust survivors who’ve suffered through the unspeakable and I’m committed to ensuring New York State protects survivors and their families and provides the assistance and assets these New Yorkers deserve.”

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