A member of the New York Police Department patrols in front of a synagogue in Williamsburg, Oct. 13, 2023. (Stephanie Keith/Getty Images) |
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đź•Ť Mamdani raises concerns about 'buffer zone' bill as it heads to a vote
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As the New York City Council meets to vote today on two bills that would restrict protests around houses of worship and educational centers, Mayor Zohran Mamdani is voicing his doubts.
“The mayor is keenly aware of the serious concerns regarding these bills’ limiting of New Yorkers’ constitutional rights, and he will keep these concerns in mind for any bills that land on his desk,” spokesperson Dora Pekec said to reporters. “He wants to ensure both the right to prayer and the right to protest are protected here in New York City.”
Mamdani has previously raised free speech concerns about the bills, which Speaker Julie Menin introduced in the aftermath of pro-Palestinian demonstrations outside NYC synagogues. But his renewed critique comes after the proposals, which initially included a 100-foot buffer zone around houses of worship, were watered down to let the NYPD make a plan for security perimeters.
- The bill establishing perimeters around houses of worship is expected to pass today, with its 35 co-sponsors providing the two-thirds majority needed to pass without the mayor’s signature.
- Opponents to the bill include the progressive Jews for Racial & Economic Justice. The group's executive director Audrey Sasson said today in a New York Daily news op-ed that the bill does “almost nothing, while maintaining the NYPD’s total discretion to selectively silence speech.”
- A coalition of 13 public defender, immigration and LGBTQ+ groups also urged Menin to drop the legislation on Wednesday. “These proposals will lead to expanded policing and further criminalization of the communities we serve,” the groups said in a letter seen by Politico.
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FROM OUR SPONSOR MARLENE MEYERSON JCC MANHATTAN |
Celebrate the Conclusion of Passover at the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan’s Moroccan Mimouna! | On Sunday, April 12, enjoy an unforgettable evening of music, food, and tradition. Indulge in a rich, colorful Mimouna table overflowing with handmade sweets, traditional mufletas, and refreshing Moroccan mint tea. |
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đźš“ Did the NYPD have to protect a woman attacked by Orthodox Jews? |
A woman has claimed that NYPD officers failed to protect her from attacks by a group of young Orthodox Jewish men in 2025. But city attorneys say the NYPD was not obligated to protect her, reported Gothamist.
Amanda Luci said in a lawsuit that the attackers mistook her for a pro-Palestinian protester outside a synagogue in Crown Heights and proceeded to kick and threaten her. She alleged that NYPD officers who responded to the scene did not subdue them, partly because they also believed Luci was expressing pro-Palestinian views.
- City attorneys have responded that the NYPD has no constitutional requirement to defend someone from being attacked. Legal experts told Gothamist that the Constitution generally creates rights to be free from conduct by the state, but there are exceptions, especially if the police failed to protect Luci based on her identity or beliefs.
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đź‘‹ Pro-Israel influencer leaves bridge authority
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Emily Austin, a pro-Israel influencer and founder of “Hot Girls for Cuomo,” has left her job as a commissioner on the Nassau County Bridge Authority.
Austin resigned due to “scheduling conflicts” last month, the bridge authority told Politico. She was appointed by Nassau County Executive and gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman in 2024, despite having no known background in engineering or financial management, and missed at least six in-person meetings of the five-person board.
Austin launched “Hot Girls for Cuomo” to oppose the “Hot Girls for Zohran” movement during the 2024 mayoral race. The founder of that group, Kaif Gilani, was recently fired by Brad Lander’s congressional campaign after it was revealed that he circulated conspiracy theories about Israel and Jews on social media.
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đź“š The best in Jewish books
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The year’s best in Jewish fiction and nonfiction were recognized last night at the 75th National Jewish Book Awards, held at Temple Emanu-El in Manhattan. Twenty-one books were honored by the Jewish Book Council, including “Hostage” by Eli Sharabi, named the Jewish Book of the Year.
Entertainer and podcaster Jonah Platt hosted the event, and opened the evening with a song ribbing the somber subject matter of many of the winners. “Nothing with jokes or lively discussions/only the Nazis, Gaza and Russians” he sang, to the tune of “Comedy Tonight.”
- Zeeva Bukai, whose novel “The Anatomy of Exile” won for Debut Fiction, suggested what made 2025 so downbeat: “Writing Jewishly at this time, writing Jewish stories in this world, feels like an act of resistance.”
- Journalist Samuel Freedman, winner of the Mentorship Award for guiding his Columbia Journalism School students to book deals, urged the writers in the room to keep at it despite reports that Jewish books and authors are finding it hard to find agents and publishers. “The worst thing you can do is self-censor,” he said. “The worst thing you can do is assume there is no place for your work.”
- Read our report on the winners here.
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⛟ Mitzvah tanks roll across NYC in Passover parade
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Yeshiva students ride on a Mitzvah Tank in the 2025 parade. (Mandi Dehan) |
Over 75 converted RVs labeled as “Mitzvah Tanks” are rolling across NYC today, spreading matzah and pre-Passover cheer ahead of the holiday.
The 52nd annual Mitzvah Tank Parade, organized by the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, is part of a global campaign to raise awareness about Passover. Yeshiva students riding the Mitzah Tanks are distributing hand-baked matzah, sharing guides to Passover and inviting people to do a mitzvah.
“Tanks are generally considered weapons of war, but we've transformed them into vehicles of kindness and Jewish pride,” said Rabbi Mordy Hirsch, director of the Mitzvah Tanks organization. “Each mitzvah – good deed – we do adds a little bit of light in the fight against darkness.”
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