Early Wednesday morning Israel time Wednesday, hours after US media projected Zohran Mamdani the winner of New York City’s mayoral race, Rabbi Marc Schneier said he plans to build what he called “the first Jewish day school in the Hamptons,” anticipating “thousands of Jewish families” moving from the city to Suffolk County. The Anti-Defamation League’s Jonathan Greenblatt said his organization would approach the next four years “with resolve,” pledging to hold the mayor-elect to basic standards on combating antisemitism.
In a post on X, Schneier wrote: “With the news of @ZohranKMamdani mayoral victory, I am announcing plans for the building of the first Jewish day school in the Hamptons. This is in anticipation of the thousands of Jewish families that will flock to the Hamptons and greater Suffolk County to escape the antisemitic climate of Mamdani’s New York City.” Schneier is the founding rabbi of The Hampton Synagogue in Westhampton Beach.
Protecting the Jewish people
Greenblatt, the ADL’s CEO, said in a statement posted to social media: “In light of Mayor-elect Mamdani’s long, disturbing record on issues of deep concern to the Jewish community, we will approach the next four years with resolve… We will neither compromise nor relent in our pursuit of our core purpose, to protect the Jewish people.” The ADL and Mamdani have repeatedly clashed throughout the campaign over issues including antisemitism, protest slogans, and outreach to Jewish communities.
Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist and Queens state assemblyman, was projected to defeat former governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa in Tuesday’s election. If certified, he will become the city’s first Muslim mayor and take office on January 1, 2026.
The ADL, for its part, has said it will “be relentless and unyielding” in pressing City Hall to stand unequivocally against antisemitism and support all Jewish New Yorkers. The group tangled publicly with Mamdani during the race, after the candidate’s comments about protest slogans and Jewish representation drew criticism from Greenblatt and others.