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Zohran Mamdani is set to become New York's first Muslim mayor, largely thanks to a close-knit team of young Jewish professionals who helped him defeat a renowned political dynasty.
The team behind the young socialist's shocking blow to the establishment is all the more remarkable, considering how his positions on Israel have stirred up the largest Jewish community outside of Israel.
Mamdani's rivals in the primary and now ahead of the general election have portrayed the state legislator as a dangerous radical, even an anti-Semite. His statements on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have unsettled many of the city's more than 1 million Jews.
Incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, who is running on an independent ballot line, said in recent TV appearances that if Mamdani is not antisemitic, he is at least "misguided."
The Jewish professionals advising Mamdani had a strategy to counter concerns about whether his inclusiveness extended to Jews.
They platformed him on podcasts, chose tough interviewers and brought him into Orthodox neighborhoods that had supported his primary rival, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, or Adams.
His progressive message of inclusion and justice was consistent, no matter the forum. Mamdani confronted criticism head-on, insisting that opposing the policies of the Israeli government and supporting the boycott Israel movement did not mean endangering Jewish New Yorkers.
"I'm lucky that I don't have to look too far for feedback from Jewish New Yorkers, as much of my campaign is being run by Jewish New Yorkers," Mamdani said in his. April interview with the Forward, his first to a major Jewish outlet. "It is a key part of both the way in which we are running this campaign and also the values that underpin the campaign."
Here's a look at Mamdani's Jewish team:
Andrew Epstein, director of communications
Epstein, 38, a professional digital director, launched an online campaign in a town that typically sees candidates running on broadcast and cable.
Epstein, working closely with campaign manager Elle Bisgaard-Church, Mamdani's chief of staff in the Assembly, made the candidate approachable to reporters. He booked him on podcasts, including those who opposed Mamdani, to broaden the campaign's reach and engage younger voters. He also helped with debate preparation.
Epstein joined the Mamdani campaign last September after serving as chief of staff to Assemblymember Emily Gallagher, who represents the Greenpoint and Williamsburg neighborhoods in Brooklyn. Gallagher, like Mamdani a Democratic Socialist, was elected the same year, 2020, amid an anti-establishment wave that began in 2018 Epstein managed Gallagher's campaign and worked very closely with the Satmar Hasidic sects in Williamsburg on local issues.
Epstein learned some Yiddish growing up while attending the West Side Yiddish school.
Previously, Epstein volunteered on Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign, as well as local races, such as the campaigns of State Senator. Julia Salazar , Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and actress Cynthia Nixon's unsuccessful campaign for New York governor in 2018.
In an interview with The Forge , Epstein said he started his political activities in high school after the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the Iraq War, participating in anti-war protests and later joining a community organizing group. At Yale University, which he attended from 2013 to 2017, Epstein signed a letter Calling for a ceasefire in the 2014 Gaza war. He later became a graduate teaching fellow in history at Yale.
Esptein is expected to stay on as a senior advisor to Mamdani on messaging and outreach.
Julian Gerson, political director
Gerson, 28, brought insider credibility to his key role in shaping Mamdani's agenda and his campaign's outreach. It was Gerson's idea to have Mamdani walk the length of Manhattan on the Friday before the election, a move that earned media coverage and was mentioned by the candidate at the start of his victory speech, according to an official affiliated with the campaign.
He previously served as the campaign manager for Rep. Jerry Nadler, co-chair of the Congressional Jewish Caucus, who faced a tough re-election campaign in 2022.
In outreach then to Jewish voters, Gerson noted that Nadler was the city's only remaining Jewish House member. He said losing that primary, against former Rep. Carolyn Maloney in the redrawn 12th District — which includes the heavily Jewish neighborhoods of Manhattan's Upper West and East sides — would have "national implications."
He also highlighted Nadler's liberal record on Israel. "Jerry embodies the idea that one can absolutely be pro-Israel and progressive at the same time," Gerson wrote in an email to Jewish voters.
In Congress, he served as Nadler's press secretary and speech writer.
Nadler endorsed Mamdani immediately after his primary win, while other New York Democrats, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Rep. Dan Goldman, have yet to do so .
Gerson previously worked for the 2018 congressional campaign of Antonio Delgado , the current lieutenant governor of New York, who is married to a Jewish woman. Before joining the Mamdani campaign, Gerson was a speechwriter for Gov. Kathy Hochul, who is running for re-election and may face a primary challenge from Delgado next year.
Gerson now serves as Mamdani's director of writing, overseeing speeches and all written communications.
Morris Katz, media strategist
Katz, 28, is affiliated with Fight Agency, a Democratic media firm that identifies inspiring candidates with working-class appeal. He served as Mamdani's senior advisor and TV ad buyer.
Katz was initially hesitant to join the campaign because of his doubts about Mamdani's viability, according to a New York Magazine profile. Mamdani personally reached out, and Katz said he left their 45-minute meeting inspired and fully won over. At the time, Mamdani was polling at just 1% after launching his mayoral bid last September.
The son of David Bar Katz, a screenwriter and producer behind Showtime's "Ray Donovan," Katz wrote several screenplays while attending Skidmore College. After the 2016 election of Donald Trump, he brought his ad-writing and messaging skills to Democratic candidates.
Katz has worked closely with Rebecca Katz, a veteran strategist who worked for former Mayor Bill de Blasio. She recently helped Ruben Gallego, a moderate Democrat, win a close U.S. Senate race in the battleground state of Arizona. The two are not related.
Spencer Goldberg, Mamdani's executive aide and body man, who is usually near the candidate and privy to all conversations, is also Jewish.
Brad Lander, outgoing NYC comptroller and key ally
Lander, the highest-ranking Jewish elected official in the city, is credited with helping Mamdani get over the finish line. His cross-endorsement of Mamdani in the final week of the campaign, despite their disagreements on Israel, eased the concerns of voters who might have been wary of the assemblymember's pro-Palestinian activism.
You had a Muslim New Yorker and a Jewish New Yorker campaigning together," Lander said in an interview. "You could tell that it touched something in people.
Lander, who finished third in the primary, said his alliance with Mamdani caused mixed reactions among Jewish voters. Some praised him for creating a hopeful Jewish-Muslim political partnership, while others said they felt alienated by his decision.
A liberal Zionist, Lander said the two continue to talk regularly but declined to elaborate on whether he will seek to influence Mamdani’s approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. "We're having some conversations about the campaign and the issues we're facing," he said.
The progressive Jews For Racial & Economic Justice, of which Lander is a member, endorsed both Mamdani and Lander through its affiliated political arm, The Jewish Vote, after hundreds of members voted in favor of a dual-ranked endorsement. Audrey Sasson, JFREJ’s executive director, praised Mamdani’s alignment with the organization’s values, particularly his focus on kitchen table issues and commitment to combating hate crimes.
Sasson said she expects JFREJ to have a closer partnership with City Hall under Mamdani than in previous administrations. "We can't wait to keep shaping the city and having an opportunity and a partner in that work," Sasson said.
Confronting fears over antisemitism
Since his surprise victory, Mamdani has expanded his team and redoubled his outreach efforts, including with critics of his support for the boycott-Israel movement and with Orthodox leaders who may see Adams as a more reliable ally but question his chances of re-election.
In his victory speech , Mamdani appealed to voters who had supported Cuomo.
I hope now that this primary has come to an end, I can introduce myself once more," he said. "I promise that you will not always agree with me, but I will never hide from you.
Mamdani has tempered his public comments on the conflict, but has not backed down from his sharp criticism of Israel. He says he would govern based on his commitment to international law and human rights.
"We are going to have an administration that is open to all New Yorkers, especially Jewish New Yorkers," said Ali Najmi, the Mamdani campaign election attorney who is close with some Orthodox leaders. on NY1 , a local TV station.
Lander said Jews concerned about rising antisemitism need not worry about Mamdani. "He is absolutely committed to keeping all New Yorkers safe — including Jewish New Yorkers, who, like me, are Zionists," he said.
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