He wished Jewish New Yorkers a happy new year in Hebrew. He checked in with community leaders. And on Monday night, Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for New York City mayor, plans to attend Rosh Hashana services for the first time.
For most New York politicians, the High Holy Days each autumn present an easy opportunity to show support for the city’s vibrant Jewish community. They share holiday greetings on social media, or perhaps show up at a temple or two.
But for Mr. Mamdani, the 10-day stretch will be something more complicated, a high-profile election-season test of his relationship with a group of New Yorkers that is deeply split over his candidacy.
It is no simple balancing act. Mr. Mamdani, a state assemblyman and democratic socialist, has no intention of backing off his strong criticism of Israel, which has unsettled some Jewish voters, especially older ones. Yet allies say he is trying to reassure even those who oppose him that he values their interests and would seek to protect them as much as he would other New Yorkers.
Monday night’s services will offer the friendliest of preludes. He plans to sit next to Brad Lander, the comptroller and an ally, in Brooklyn at one of the city’s most progressive synagogues, Kolot Chayeinu. Neither man was expected to speak, as is customary.
In a minute-long video on Monday, though, Mr. Mamdani, 33, spoke of how Jews had endured “wave after wave of persecution.” He name-checked conservative Jewish communities in Williamsburg in Brooklyn and Riverdale in the Bronx, and suggested that the introspection of the Jewish holidays should inspire all New Yorkers.
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