As a 61-year-old Jewish woman (so many friends are appalled by the idea of voting for Mamdani), your perspective is so on point, I have forwarded your pieces to friends and family over and over throughout this campaign. Thank you l, Bess, for this and putting this insane mayoral race in perspective in a way that I can’t articulate myself. hoping for the best tomorrow.
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 as always, you are wonderful at cutting through the nonsense and proving to be the most mature and reasonable adult in the room. Thank you for this!
I wish you were right; I really do. But this is a man who said, after October 7, that when the boot of the NYPD is on your neck, it was laced up by the IDF. Whatever he may have said more recently while running for election, he conflated two things that have nothing whatsoever to do with each other and blamed the Jews for New York police violence. I don’t see how that can be erased, brushed aside, or explained.
The NYPD, among other US police departments, has been traveling to Israel for training exercises with their military, police, and intelligence as part of an exchange program since 2002. The NYPD also has a satellite office in Israel. Certainly police brutality in the US predates that but the two things do have something to do with each other.
I am not personally advancing any theory - I just saw your comment and wanted to share this information in the spirit of education and understanding the factual context in which that statement was made. He followed up in later remarks about how (to paraphrase) even for New Yorkers who may otherwise not be informed or engaged on the topic, this is an aspect in which US relations with Israel is directly relevant to life in New York City. Much has been written about this that you could research and read if you are so inclined. Again, it’s not exclusive to the NYPD, but to me it seems self-evident that a partnership between local city police departments and a(ny) foreign country’s military and intelligence apparatus is part of the increased militarization of policing in the US post-9/11.
No doubt you and your son will share a lifelong happy memory of voting for Mayor Mamdani! (I share one with my daughter about voting for President Obama—when she was 10.)
Thank you, as always, for your writing -- I shared this with my 80 year old mother this morning and she was moved to vote for Mamdani -- she wrote: "Kalb’s article resonated with me. Thanks. It helped me decide."
I love this, Bess. I’m a Floridian so have no vote in this, but if I did, I’d definitely vote for Mamdani. Especially after this lovely essay! I heard Trump advised everyone to vote for Cuomo, that ”you have no other choice.” My dad was a New Yorker, and if you told him “you have no choice,” he’d go ballistic and prove that he did indeed have one. I suspect he was fairly typical of New Yorkers in that regard, and I fervently hope Trump’s statement backfires.
Bess - this was such a lovely essay. I always tell my children - I do not use my vote for myself. I use my vote to protect the most vulnerable people. Your essay captured that essence.
Thank you for this very detailed a well researched article explaining why Mamdani is not someone to be feared by Jews. I saw a video last week posted by Hen Mazzig of a female rabbi speaking to how he is a terrible choice because he allows antisemitism to be normalized, and I was stating to wonder if I should be concerned about friends who I know support him and are voting for him. I don’t live in NYC so obviously won’t be voting there tomorrow, and I still don’t like the fact that he started a Students for Justice in Palestine group, but I do feel a sense of relief now knowing he is a genuine person who cares about doing the hard work to make life better for New Yorkers. Maybe someday I will have the chance to vote for him in another election too.
As a 61-year-old Jewish woman (so many friends are appalled by the idea of voting for Mamdani), your perspective is so on point, I have forwarded your pieces to friends and family over and over throughout this campaign. Thank you l, Bess, for this and putting this insane mayoral race in perspective in a way that I can’t articulate myself. hoping for the best tomorrow.
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 as always, you are wonderful at cutting through the nonsense and proving to be the most mature and reasonable adult in the room. Thank you for this!
I wish you were right; I really do. But this is a man who said, after October 7, that when the boot of the NYPD is on your neck, it was laced up by the IDF. Whatever he may have said more recently while running for election, he conflated two things that have nothing whatsoever to do with each other and blamed the Jews for New York police violence. I don’t see how that can be erased, brushed aside, or explained.
The NYPD, among other US police departments, has been traveling to Israel for training exercises with their military, police, and intelligence as part of an exchange program since 2002. The NYPD also has a satellite office in Israel. Certainly police brutality in the US predates that but the two things do have something to do with each other.
So is your theory that the IDF is training the NYPD to engage in brutality?
I am not personally advancing any theory - I just saw your comment and wanted to share this information in the spirit of education and understanding the factual context in which that statement was made. He followed up in later remarks about how (to paraphrase) even for New Yorkers who may otherwise not be informed or engaged on the topic, this is an aspect in which US relations with Israel is directly relevant to life in New York City. Much has been written about this that you could research and read if you are so inclined. Again, it’s not exclusive to the NYPD, but to me it seems self-evident that a partnership between local city police departments and a(ny) foreign country’s military and intelligence apparatus is part of the increased militarization of policing in the US post-9/11.
No doubt you and your son will share a lifelong happy memory of voting for Mayor Mamdani! (I share one with my daughter about voting for President Obama—when she was 10.)
Thank you, Bess. In this fraught moment, somehow you find the words ❤️
thanks, Bess. Good sense and all heart. If I still lived in NYC, I'd vote for that American man named Mamdani.
Thank you, Bess. I'm with you (and Mamdani)
Thank you, as always, for your writing -- I shared this with my 80 year old mother this morning and she was moved to vote for Mamdani -- she wrote: "Kalb’s article resonated with me. Thanks. It helped me decide."
Beautifully put, Bess ! ❤️
I love this, Bess. I’m a Floridian so have no vote in this, but if I did, I’d definitely vote for Mamdani. Especially after this lovely essay! I heard Trump advised everyone to vote for Cuomo, that ”you have no other choice.” My dad was a New Yorker, and if you told him “you have no choice,” he’d go ballistic and prove that he did indeed have one. I suspect he was fairly typical of New Yorkers in that regard, and I fervently hope Trump’s statement backfires.
This made me tear up. Thank you, Bess.
What a wonderful post! ♥️
Bess - this was such a lovely essay. I always tell my children - I do not use my vote for myself. I use my vote to protect the most vulnerable people. Your essay captured that essence.
Thank you for this very detailed a well researched article explaining why Mamdani is not someone to be feared by Jews. I saw a video last week posted by Hen Mazzig of a female rabbi speaking to how he is a terrible choice because he allows antisemitism to be normalized, and I was stating to wonder if I should be concerned about friends who I know support him and are voting for him. I don’t live in NYC so obviously won’t be voting there tomorrow, and I still don’t like the fact that he started a Students for Justice in Palestine group, but I do feel a sense of relief now knowing he is a genuine person who cares about doing the hard work to make life better for New Yorkers. Maybe someday I will have the chance to vote for him in another election too.
Thank you for putting so much of what I was thinking into words. This made me cry. New York City needs positivity, not fear.
Your words on this continue to be marvelous. Thank you ❤️