New York City Mayor Eric Adams established the Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism, this week; it’s a mayoral office dedicated to fighting antisemitism in all forms and keeping New Yorkers safe.
Amidst an unprecedented rise in antisemitism in New York City and across the entire country, Mayor Adams’ new office will be the first office of its kind established in a major city across the nation.
Last year, the New York City Police Department (NYPD) reported that 54 percent of all hate crimes in New York City were against Jewish New Yorkers; during the first quarter of 2025, that number rose to 62 percent, demonstrating the urgent need for this office.
This new mayoral office will immediately establish an inter-agency taskforce dedicated to fighting antisemitism in all its forms, including by monitoring court cases and outcomes at all levels of the justice system, liaising with the New York City Law Department on appropriate cases to bring or join, advising on executive orders to issue and legislation to propose to address antisemitism, and working across agencies to ensure New Yorkers feel protected against antisemitism and address incidents of antisemitism.
The office will work to ensure city-funded entities and city agencies do not permit different forms of antisemitism.
To lead the office, Mayor Adams appointed Moshe Davis as the first executive director of the Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism. As its first action, Davis will form a commission of Jewish leaders from across New York City to oversee and advise on the office’s work.
Davis joined the Adams administration in November 2022 as Jewish liaison in the Mayor’s Office of Community Affairs. In this capacity, he connected the city’s nearly 1 million Jewish residents to municipal government while communicating administration priorities and managing Mayor Adams’ first-of-its-kind Jewish Advisory Council.
Prior to joining the Mayor’s Office, Davis served as a rabbinic leader at the Manhattan Jewish Experience, where he created faith-based programs for young professionals on the Upper West Side. Davis also founded “New York Jews in Politics,” a growing network of Jewish professionals working across government, advocacy, and nonprofit sectors.
In his remarks, the Mayor mentioned that he is flanked by his ‘dear friends’ who are active in the Jewish community, especially Devorah Halberstam, whom he knows since the day her son Ari Halberstam HYD was murdered in an antisemitic terror attack in New York City, and whose gravesite he visits during his visits to the Lubavitcher Rebbe‘s Ohel in Montefiore Cemetery in Queens to pray.
“Since day one, our administration made a commitment to all New Yorkers to keep them safe and protect against hate in all forms. As we continue to see the rising tide of antisemitism here at home, and across the country, this moment calls for decisive action,” said Mayor Adams.
“The Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism will be the first of its kind in a major city across the nation, and will tackle antisemitism in all of its forms, working across city agencies to ensure Jewish New Yorkers are protected and can thrive here in the five boroughs. Antisemitism is an attack not only on Jewish New Yorkers, but on the very idea of New York City as a place where people from all backgrounds can live together. Moshe Davis is a tireless advocate on behalf of Jewish New Yorkers, and he is exactly the right person to lead and build this office. I’m grateful to Moshe for stepping up to lead on this important issue.”
“The rise in antisemitism in our city, in our country, and around the world is both alarming and intolerable,” said First Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro. “Today, Mayor Adams is taking a stand — that in the city with the largest Jewish population in the world — antisemitism is unacceptable and we have to do more to address it. So, New York City will lead the way as the first major city in America to establish an office dedicated solely to combatting antisemitism.”
“I am proud of the creation of the Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism, a necessary step to address the concerning rise in antisemitism across our city,” said Mayor’s Community Affairs Unit (CAU) Commissioner Fred Kreizman. “Moshe Davis, our dedicated Jewish Liaison at CAU, is the perfect choice to lead this effort. His passionate advocacy, deep understanding of community needs, and proven ability to coordinate across agencies make him an exceptional leader for this important initiative. I look forward to working with Moshe as we strengthen our commitment to combating antisemitism and promoting unity in our city.”
“Combating antisemitism requires a sledgehammer approach: coordinated, unapologetic, and immediate,” said Executive Director Moshe Davis. “Mayor Adams has been a modern-day Maccabee, standing up for the Jewish community, and, with the establishment of this office, he is strengthening his resolve to ensure Jewish New Yorkers thrive in our city. I look forward to working closely with Mayor Eric Adams and First Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro to continue our forceful response against anti-Jewish hate and discrimination.”
As the Anti-Defamation League recently reported a record number of antisemitic incidents in 2024 across the country, including the highest number in New York state, Mayor Adams is taking action to protect Jewish New Yorkers. The creation of this office builds on the Adams administration’s work to combat antisemitism, including by directing the NYPD to take action against hate crimes and violence that threaten New Yorkers; establishing the city’s first “Breaking Bread, Building Bonds” initiative to broaden connections amongst communities of every faith, class, and creed; and establishing the city’s first Jewish Advisory Council to ensure Jewish communities across New York City are connected with all of the city’s resources and services available.
“With antisemitism on the rise in New York, I applaud Mayor Adams for establishing the Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism and for committing to use all available legal tools to fight antisemitism in New York City,” said Rabbi Yaacov Behrman, founder, Jewish Future Alliance and Crown Heights community activist. “I congratulate Moshe Davis on his appointment as executive director. Moshe is a respected and experienced leader, known for his good judgment, thoughtful approach, and calm demeanor, and he is well-suited for the job.”
This article was first published on the COLlive.com website.
