NY City Council caucus talks Jewish challenges

Jewish communal leaders from across New York City met with members of the City Council’s Jewish Caucus on Friday to discuss rising Jew-hatred, Holocaust education and the challenges that face Jewish service organizations in the city.

The hourlong meeting brought more than a dozen Jewish nonprofits and communal organizations together with city lawmakers for what Eric Dinowitz, chair of the caucus, said was a discussion about how he and fellow councilors can better support Jewish institutions and strengthen education efforts in public schools.

“We focused on the needs and challenges facing our service providers in the city,” Dinowitz, a Democrat who represents a Bronx district that includes Riverdale, told JNS.

“It was the first time in a long time that we had all of them sitting down together, sharing ideas, talking with one another and having us as members all hear directly from them at the same time,” he said.

Representatives came from the UJA-Federation of New York, Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, Blue Card, Met Council, New York Jewish Agenda, 92nd Street Y, Rabbi Sacks Legacy, Project Witness, Ohel Children’s Home and Family Services and Hatzolah.

Much of the conversation centered on education, particularly Shoah education in the city’s public schools and wider efforts to teach students about antisemitism and Jewish history.

“Whether it relates to antisemitism or to helping students in our city understand different cultures and histories, there is a real need for more robust education, particularly around the Holocaust and the diversity of the Jewish community,” Dinowitz said.

The council’s Jewish Caucus, made up of its Jewish members, works on issues affecting Jewish communities across the city, including rising antisemitism. Its members include Julie Menin, the council’s first Jewish speaker; Lynn Schulman of Forest Hills and Kew Gardens, caucus vice chair; Harvey Epstein of Midtown South and the Lower East Side; Lincoln Restler of Brooklyn Heights and South Williamsburg; Simcha Felder of Midwood and Boro Park, and Inna Vernikov of Brighton Beach and Gravesend.

Dinowitz said that the meeting opened with a discussion of the council’s five-point plan to combat antisemitism.

“We’re there to support these groups,” Dinowitz said. “We’re grateful that these organizations are so hardworking and have already demonstrated really positive results.”

With Vernikov, Dinowitz also co-chairs the City Council Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, a bipartisan body launched in 2026 as part of the five-point plan to combat Jew-hatred. Vernikov, a former Democrat who is now the lone Republican on the caucus, is an outspoken supporter of President Donald Trump and has been a sharp critic of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who has taken a firm anti-Israel stance.

In February, Mamdani announced that Phylisa Wisdom, who has drawn criticism for what many see as an anti-Chassidic stance, was the new executive director of the Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism, which the former Mayor Eric Adams, created.

“I’m willing to work with anyone who wants to tackle the crisis of antisemitism in our city,” Dinowitz said. “The mayor is continuing the office that was created under the previous administration, and I look forward to working with anyone, including the mayor’s office, if it means addressing antisemitism.”

JNS asked Dinowitz what his message is for Jewish New Yorkers who are concerned about anti-Israel policies and statements from City Hall. Mamdani has said that he would have the Israeli prime minister arrested in the Big Apple, and his spokeswoman said that synagogues shouldn’t hold events in violation of international law, including pro-Israel gatherings.

“There are people in the New York City Council fighting day in and day out to make sure New Yorkers are safe and feel safe,” Dinowitz responded.

The caucus’s next steps include working to pass a city budget that can better sustain and support the nonprofit sector and bringing what Dinowitz called “tried-and-true educational methods” into more city schools.

“We want to make sure the groups in the Jewish community that are doing good work, not just for the Jewish community but for all New Yorkers, are uplifted and supported,” he said.

“Whether that means securing funding for these organizations, providing logistical support as they work with city agencies, passing a city budget that includes increases for human-service providers or working with the Department of Education to embrace the rich diversity of New York City,” he said. “Those are all part of the work we are doing as a caucus.”