In the midst of the stormy election campaign in New York, a new campaign video featuring Zohran Mamdani, the Muslim socialist candidate whose positions on Israel, Judaism, and the LGBTQ+ community have sparked controversy, has shaken public discourse in the US and beyond, becoming a divisive political symbol.
The video, produced in partnership with the Jewish organization "Jews for Racial and Economic Justice," features four rabbis – three women and a transgender rabbi – expressing open support for Mamdani. Among the rabbis featured is Avi Stein, a transgender activist who left the ultra-Orthodox community, selected for the campaign as a symbol of personal transformation (which also received extensive media coverage) and an important voice in the LGBTQ+ community, in an effort to neutralize criticism surrounding Mamdani's positions on LGBTQ+ rights.
In the video, which went viral online and generated hundreds of responses, the rabbis wear campaign shirts and recite text praising Mamdani's positions on affordable housing, social justice, community safety, and protecting minority rights.
Video: The video features four rabbis expressing support for Mamdani / Credit: Usage under Israel's Intellectual Property Law Article 27(a)
Statements such as "We know Zohran will fight to make our city affordable and safe for our families and for our neighbors of all faiths and backgrounds" attempt to present Mamdani as a solidary and progressive figure. However, the video deliberately ignores significant aspects of his legacy: support for the BDS boycott movement, refusal to clearly condemn anti-Jewish slogans and anti-Israel rhetoric, alongside recurring claims of anti-LGBTQ+ positions leveled against him.
Reactions to the video were swift, and as expected, the dominant tone mixed blunt criticism with sustained mockery. Within the Jewish community, particularly among conservative rabbis, the video was described as "cringe," "cynical," and "manipulative," with criticism that Mamdani is using diverse rabbis to gain public legitimacy while failing to address the deep problems in his conduct.
Online commenters added the video was "embarrassing and bizarre," "I thought it couldn't get worse – wait for this" and "A ridiculous ad that looks like an unfunny skit. Next time, Zohran, try reaching out to the Jewish community, instead of insulting Jews by promoting fringe opinions of 3 female rabbis and a transgender rabbi."
