Jewish students in NYC are ‘scared’ as Zohran Mamdani ascends to power

“I think it’s a huge blow to the New York City Jewish community,” said Aidan Herlinger of Baruch College. He pointed to Mamdani’s past praise of the “Holy Land Five,” who are federally incarcerated for funneling money to Hamas, in a rap song shared on social media, and his support for slogans like “globalize the Intifada,” which call for an armed uprising against Jews. Herlinger argued that Mamdani’s refusal to distance himself from such rhetoric sets “a dangerous precedent” for Jewish New Yorkers, particularly students on increasingly polarized campuses.

Barnard College student Eliana Birman told the outlet, “We have never seen a socialist country that has actually worked, and I think this may be a major downfall if Mr. Mamdani is actually able to act on his policies that he’s stated that he wants to enact.”

There have been two years of intense campus violence and riots following Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza. New York City universities became flashpoints, including in April 2024, when activists set up a pro-Hamas encampment on campus at Columbia University.

Demonstrators frequently chanted “from the river to the sea,” a call to erase the Jewish state, while organizers described it as a demand for Palestinian liberation. The encampment eventually led to numerous arrests.

In May 2025, the radicals occupied Columbia’s Butler Library, unofficially renaming it “Basel Al-Araj Popular University” after a terrorist supporter in a protest that ended with hundreds of arrests.

NYU’s Manhattan campus saw its own wave of protests, including a Dec. 12, 2024 demonstration outside the main library where some participants called for an “intifada revolution” and declared “Tel Aviv is stolen land.” At NYU, student Mera Skobolo described a climate in which many Jewish students feel they must conceal who they are. “Some of us hide our identities,” Skobolo said. “We’ve been screamed at. We’ve been blocked out of our own library during finals week. We’ve had professors yell at students, not support students.”

She said the rise in protests and hostile encounters has made many Jewish students feel abandoned by the very institutions meant to protect them. “We want to feel protected by our elected officials,” Skobolo continued. “A lot of us are scared. The past two years on college campuses across New York City have been difficult for Jewish students.”

After his election, Mamdani said, “We will build a City Hall that stands steadfast alongside Jewish New Yorkers and does not waver in the fight against the scourge of antisemitism.” But many viewed his recent comments as empty words, given his past statements.

Columbia University student TJ Katz told Fox News, “You will undoubtedly see students feel inspired by what [Mamdani] says and what he wishes. I think more than anything else, the mayor of New York City serves as a role model and a figurehead. He has the ability to put X, Y, or Z policies in place, but I unequivocally believe the most impact that Mamdani will have is how he influences others to act.”

Barnard College student Shoshana Aufzien said regarding the antisemitic home Mamdani was raised in, “The call is coming from inside the house,” she said, arguing that “we have a lot of systemic issues we need to work through. But the fact that Mamdani has never acknowledged his father’s anti-Semitism or condemned it is pretty telling.”

Aufzien added, “I think it’s going to be a big litmus test for my campus and also New Yorkers generally to see if they can tolerate a mayor with such radical policy proposals.”