Jewish residents are increasingly expressing concerns about feeling targeted by antisemitic and anti-Israel incidents. In New York, some community members are specifically apprehensive about Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s public stance, which seeks to create distance between the city and Israel. This has added to a sense of unease among some Jewish New Yorkers.
Hila Ashkenazi, who owns a bagel shop in eastern Queens, has demonstrated her pride by displaying both Israeli and American flags for 25 years. Throughout most of her tenure, she believed the neighborhood embraced her business and its Jewish heritage.
Supporters of Israel gathered outside a synagogue in Brooklyn earlier this month, exemplifying the tensions felt by many Jewish residents in the area. The community’s sentiment reflects broader concerns about antisemitism’s impact on their safety and identity.