\u201cMamdani represents a genuine threat to our city and way of life. We must make sure he doesn\u2019t get elected,\u201d Steinmetz said in an open letter. \u201cThe only way to do that is by voting for Andrew Cuomo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mamdani’s obsessions and associations<\/p>\n
The rabbi noted that he had always tried to avoid politics and had never endorsed a candidate before, but Mamdani was \u201cobsessed with Israel,\u201d a focus that had been his since his early political ventures.<\/p>\n
Steinmetz said that, given the circumstances, he has been warning about Mamdani\u2019s candidacy even since spring.<\/p>\n
Further, the Modern Orthodox rabbi said that Mamdani had advocated for the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement against Israel, had refused to recognize Israel as a Jewish state, and was reluctant to condemn Hamas.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust a week after the October 7 attacks, while rockets still rained down on Israeli civilians, Mamdani accused Israel of genocide \u2013 a slander he continues to repeat. He will not condemn the phrase \u2018globalize the intifada,\u2019\u201d wrote Steinmetz.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis kind of rhetoric fuels the hatred that has led to violent demonstrations and deadly attacks. It is unthinkable that the city with the world\u2019s largest Jewish population could elect someone who refuses to understand this.\u201d<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
Independent nominee, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (L) greets Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani before participating in a mayoral debate at Rockefeller Center on October 16, 2025 in New York City. (credit: Angelina Katsanis-Pool\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Steinmetz also expressed alarm at Mamdani\u2019s associations, noting that he has appeared alongside radical Twitch streamer Hasan Piker, who once said that America \u201cdeserved\u201d the September 11 terrorist attacks.<\/p>\n
Mamdani had also posed next to a controversial imam<\/a> last Friday during a photography campaign. Imam Siraj Wahhaj was one of the unindicted coconspirators in the 1993 World Trade Center bombings and has a history of extreme statements.<\/p>\n \u201cOne shudders to think of the sort of people Mamdani would bring into his administration,\u201d said Steinmetz.<\/p>\n The rabbi said that it was therefore necessary to vote for the independent Cuomo.<\/p>\n Republican candidate and Guardian Angels founder \u201cCurtis Sliwa has absolutely no chance. Every vote for Sliwa is in effect a vote for Mamdani,\u201d said Steinmetz. \u201cA vote for Cuomo is what is best for your city, your neighbors, and your friends. You owe them your loyalty first.\u201d<\/p>\n ‘A growing chorus’<\/p>\n Steinmetz joins a growing chorus of NYC rabbis who have called on community members to vote for Cuomo over Mamdani.<\/p>\n In a sermon last Saturday, Park Avenue Synagogue Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove<\/a> told congregants that Mamdani was \u201ca danger to the Jewish body politic of New York City.\u201d<\/p>\n On Tuesday, Jewish Community Relations Council of New York (JCRC NY) CEO emeritus Rabbi Michael Miller similarly said that the \u201cfate of the city and its Jewish citizenry\u201d depended on voting for Cuomo.<\/p>\n Over 1,000 rabbinical authorities from across the United States signed a Wednesday Jewish Majority open letter<\/a> urging the public to vote for \u201ccandidates who reject antisemitic and anti-Zionist rhetoric, and who affirm Israel\u2019s right to exist in peace and security.\u201d<\/p>\n