DANIEL ROSEN: Building Jewish-Muslim Partnerships in the Mamdani Moment

Building Jewish-Muslim Partnerships in the Mamdani Moment

By Daniel Rosen, President of the American Jewish Congress. Published originally in Newsweek.

Even in the aftermath of tragedy and division, history shows us something powerful: when Muslims and Jews stand together, everyone rises.

After the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, New York's faith communities rallied together in a way many did not expect. Religious leaders—rabbis, imams, pastors—joined a press conference just days after the attacks to speak with one voice against hate and to affirm the shared values of freedom, dignity and respect for all people.

Today in New York City, those lessons feel as urgent as ever. It would be disingenuous not to acknowledge that some of Mayor Zohran Mamdani's language to date has been troubling to many in the Jewish community and beyond. Those concerns deserve to be taken seriously, not brushed aside. But this moment also carries extraordinary responsibility and opportunity.

Mamdani's election galvanized many Muslim New Yorkers, who saw in his campaign a historic breakthrough and a source of pride. That success brings with it responsibility. The mayor now carries the hopes of a rising generation, and he must do right by them.

Over the past decade, interfaith programs in this city and across America have fostered meaningful Muslim‑Jewish cooperation: synagogues hosting mosque youth groups; Muslim congregations volunteering at Jewish holidays; and joint civic events that affirm our shared stake in civil rights, inclusion and justice. These partnerships weren't symbolic niceties. They were practical alliances rooted in shared experience.

We must remember something vital: Jewish and Muslim Americans have long stood shoulder to shoulder in defense of civil rights and equal treatment under the law. After 9/11, Muslim communities endured waves of scrutiny and even harassment. Jewish leaders and institutions did not stand idly by—rabbis, congregations and Jewish civil rights groups joined Muslim neighbors in protests, legal actions and public declarations against Islamophobia.

Here at home, the work is unfinished. The October 7 terror attack, the Gaza war and its reverberations here in the United States have strained relationships, challenged conversations and sometimes warped public discourse. But that is precisely why we must renew our commitment to cooperation.

Young Muslim and Jewish Americans deserve a legacy of partnership, not polarization. They deserve leaders who understand that the fight for civil rights here at home and the pursuit of peace abroad are not mutually exclusive. They are deeply interconnected.

So let us stand together, not apart. Let us reaffirm that Jewish‑Muslim alliances are not just possible, but essential. And let those alliances be a model not just for New York City, but for the world at large.