Zohran Mamdani: Continuing New York City's Jewish Left Tradition as Its First Socialist Mayor
Zohran Mamdani is described as the first socialist mayor of New York City, framed as an heir to a Yiddish socialist tradition. He joined the Democratic Socialists of America in 2017 and built his political campaigns through militant labor organizing, notably with taxi drivers in 2021, which included a 14-day hunger strike and advocacy for debt relief.
The narrative links Mamdani to Baruch Charney Vladeck through Bruce Vladeck, highlighting Vladeck's Marxist socialist background and his membership in the Jewish Bund. The Forward building, home to the Yiddish socialist press, symbolizes New York City's Jewish labor history, with its 1912 Beaux-Arts building featuring busts of Marx and Engels on the facade.
The historical context recalls early 20th-century New York City, where around 600,000 Jews lived, many working in garment factories and tenements, often enduring dangerous working conditions tied to in-home piecework.
Mamdani's campaign incorporated the slogan "roti and roses," and his messaging included advertisements in multiple languages such as Spanish, Bangla, Hindi, and Arabic, emphasizing class-first politics.
Despite his labor and socialist advocacy, Zionists attempted to smear Mamdani as antisemitic. However, a July Zenith Research poll found that two-thirds of Jews under 40 supported him. His campaign also faced attacks from billionaire donors, including Bill Ackman, and there were claims that a president threatened to strip Mamdani of his citizenship.
Overall, Mamdani is presented not as a departure from New York City's historic Jewish leftist tradition but as a continuation of it.
