‘We’re not running’: Jewish students lead rally outside Mamdani residence

NEW YORK — Several hundred Jewish students held a solidarity rally outside New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s official residence in Manhattan on Friday morning.

The middle and high school students were from SAR Academy and The Ramaz School, two of the leading Modern Orthodox schools in New York City.

Students and organizers said the gathering was a statement from the community against antisemitism and marginalization, but not a protest.

Jews are targeted in hate crimes far more than any other group in New York City, and critics say Mamdani’s anti-Zionist activism increases risks against the Jewish community.

“We come from a people who know how to carry hard things and keep going,” a student told the crowd. “Being Jewish means being part of something that has survived, and more than survived. It has kept choosing joy, kept choosing community, kept showing up.”

Other organizers included the advocacy group IMPACT, the Israeli-American Council, Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun and the Romemu congregation.

The crowd gathered on the sidewalk two blocks south of Mamdani’s residence, Gracie Mansion, on the Upper East Side. The event began with prayers led by students and songs, followed by speeches from students and organizers.

Some of the non-student speakers connected the gathering to Mamdani, and several adults in the crowd wore yellow shirts that read, “Fire Mamdani.”

“We stand here because we want to show that we are unafraid and that the campaign to diminish our love for Israel will not work,” said Rabbi Chaim Steinmetz of Kehilath Jeshurun. “This summer, the mayor of New York demonized supporters of Israel and focused on singling out the Jewish state for criticism.”

“In this climate of criticism, we need you to remember who you are and we need you to stand tall,” he said. “We are not running. We are standing here in the open in the streets of New York.”

The event drew some pushback. Several hundred opponents, including affiliates of the schools, signed a petition, saying the rally risked using students as “political pawns” and that the location “will likely be interpreted as a political statement against the mayor, rather than as a response to rising antisemitism.”

“This gathering needlessly inflames tensions between the mayor and the Modern Orthodox Jewish community, as opposed to inviting him into conversation as a potential ally,” said the petition organized by the Halachic Left activist group.

Mamdani was not seen by the ralliers, and his schedule did not list any public events for the morning.

Asked about the event at a Wednesday press conference, Mamdani said he supported the students, but would likely not be at his residence.

“I welcome them. They can have a vigil, or I’ve heard some describe it even as a protest,” Mamdani said. “Whatever it is intended to be, they have the room and space to do so outside of Gracie Mansion. I think that at the time that they are there, I will probably be somewhere else across the city.”

The rally ended with the crowd singing Israel’s national anthem, “Hatikvah,” and the “Star-Spangled Banner.”

“Our people have been here before. Not this exact moment, but this exact feeling. We have been exiled and returned, scattered and rebuilt, told again and again throughout history that this would be the end of us,” one of the students said in a speech. “Every single time, we are here, still lighting candles, still telling stories, still choosing to live Jewish lives.”