(JNS) New York City Mayor Eric Adams issued an executive order on Tuesday, May 13 creating a city Office to Combat Antisemitism, which he said would be “the first of its kind in a major city across the nation” that “will tackle antisemitism in all of its forms, working across city agencies to
ensure Jewish New Yorkers are protected and can thrive here in the five boroughs.”
Moshe Davis, executive director of the new city office, holds rabbinic ordination from the Mir Yeshiva in Jerusalem and has served as Jewish liaison in the mayor’s office since 2022. He told JNS that the new office, in part, will focus on making sure that schools that receive city funding, including private schools like Columbia University, are aligned with city priorities.
Adams said, “I want to be clear that this administration would not be made silent while our Jewish brothers and sisters are targeted. They should not have to hesitate to enter the subway system and ask themselves if they should take off their yarmulke. They should not worry about where they can wear their Star of David.”
He added that Jews shouldn’t have to fear being harassed or attacked when they enter school campuses in the city. “That’s not the New York that I want to be the mayor of,” he said.
“In the coming weeks, we will see executive orders, legislation, education initiatives and more monitoring,” Adams said at the press conference. “You will see us considering working with the law department, whether there are litigations where we as a city should be bringing litigation or joining litigation to support those litigating against antisemitism.”
He said that the office will monitor Jew-hatred on campus but can’t prevent anti-Israel protests.
“We often get asked … why we don’t just stop all the protests. But we can’t,” he told reporters. “That would go against our Constitution. What we can do is stop violence, and the NYPD has done an outstanding job. When someone uses their right to protest as a cover to harm others, we’ve stepped in and we’ll continue to do that.”
Even when Americans don’t like what’s being said, there is a right to free speech, Adams said at the press conference. “Still, the government cannot be complicit in hate,” he said.
“This office will be a sledgehammer—deliberate, coordinated and unapologetic,” he said. “As New Yorkers, we cannot let the loud voices of Jew-hatred drill a hole in our city. We’re all in the same boat. This isn’t a Jewish issue. This is a New York issue.”
