New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is facing backlash after his newly appointed 18-member Mayor’s Advisory Committee on the Judiciary includes no Jewish members, prompting four Jewish bar associations to condemn the exclusion as contradicting his stated goal of creating a diverse panel.
The committee, unveiled in late July 2026, recommends judicial candidates for Criminal Court, Family Court, and interim judgeships. The Jewish bar groups argued that the omission was particularly problematic given rising antisemitism in the city and the fact that Jewish attorneys had served on the panel under previous administrations.
Mamdani stood by his appointments, saying he did not inquire about the religious identification of panelists. His administration rejected one Jewish nominee, retired Appellate Division Associate Justice John Leventhal, whom the mayor said had sparked concern after becoming aware he had served on Ghislaine Maxwell’s legal team. Leventhal told the Washington Free Beacon that the rejection felt discriminatory, saying “the fact that I’m Jewish, it has a stink about it,” and noting that other panel members have represented unpopular clients.
Mamdani, who became NYC’s first Muslim mayor on January 1, 2026, responded to criticism by telling reporters that “any suggestion that there would be any decision made or motivated by religion, it does bother me.” His press secretary Joe Calvello pointed to the mayor’s earlier judicial appointments, stating that Mamdani has appointed “a dozen qualified judges from a range of backgrounds, including Jewish judges” in his first months in office.
The Mayor’s Advisory Committee controversy reflects broader tensions between Mamdani’s administration and Jewish leaders in New York City. The mayor, a vocal critic of Israeli government policies, has faced criticism from Jewish organizations over his statements and positions, which some view as hostile to Jewish interests. The judicial panel issue added to existing friction with the community.
The committee’s composition matters because it filters candidates for judges who preside over cases ranging from criminal matters to family disputes. Under prior Mayor Eric Adams, Jewish lawyers had been represented on the panel. The absence of any Jewish member on Mamdani’s slate prompted the Jewish bar associations to send a formal letter requesting reconsideration or additions to the committee, though the mayor has not indicated plans to alter the appointments.
Sources
- JTA (New York Jewish Week) — Mamdani’s defense of the committee composition and rejection of Leventhal; statement that religious identification was not inquired about
- Fox News — Confirmation that the 18-member panel has no Jewish members; reporting on the four Jewish bar associations’ demands for reconsideration
- NBC New York — Details on Leventhal’s prior service under Adams; press secretary Calvello’s statement about prior Jewish judicial appointments
- Times of Israel — Jewish bar associations’ letter characterizing Leventhal’s rejection as “unprecedented”; context on the panel’s purpose
- Washington Free Beacon — Leventhal’s direct quote on the rejection and his criticism of Mamdani’s reasoning
