“We Will Run No More” – Mayor Adams Hosts Jewish Heritage Celebration

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Queens Proud Jewish Influencer Victoria Zirkiev Honored At Powerful Gracie Mansion Gathering

On Tuesday, July 8, Mayor Eric Adams welcomed community leaders, elected officials, and Jewish activists to Gracie Mansion for the City’s official Jewish Heritage Month celebration. The evening featured passionate speeches, meaningful honors, and a strong reaffirmation of Jewish identity and solidarity with Israel amid a rise in antisemitism.

Queens native Victoria Zirkiev, CEO of Hoshen Media, was a familiar face from the start, although honored at the close of the program. Her leadership in Jewish music and activism has resonated deeply since Hamas terrorist' brazen Simchat Torah attack. “Not one mayor in the world stood with the Jewish community the way Mayor Adams did after October 7,” she said. “We need him for four more years.”

Israel’s Consul General in New York, Ofir Akunis, attended alongside his wife and addressed the crowd. Mayor Adams stood nearby, applauding, as Akunis praised his unyielding solidarity with the Jewish people. That presence—of a mayor who shows up and stays visible—would become a running theme throughout the evening. He thanked Mayor Adams for his unwavering support of Israel and the Jewish people. “We will free Gaza. We will free Gaza soon—from Hamas,” Akunis declared to sustained applause. “We don't want to ‘globalize the Intifada.’ We want to continue to globalize the American and the Jewish values.”

Moshe Davis, Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism, thanked the City Hall team for their tireless efforts in supporting the Jewish community. Echoing the mayor’s emphasis on leadership through presence, Davis spotlighted Deputy Mayor Fabien Levy, Chief of Staff Camille Joseph Varlack, Deputy Mayor Ana Almanzar, Fire Commissioner Robert Tucker, Commissioners Fred Kreizman and Ed Mermelstein, Press Secretary Kayla Mamelak, Deputy Chief of Staff Menashe Shapiro, Jason Littman, Andrea Davis Shapiro, Deputy Mayor Tiffany Raspberry, Zachary Nuchovich, Sophia Scari, Nate Swindler, and Deputy Mayor Suzanne Guzman. Their coordination, Adams would later say, was key in making New York not just diverse, but unified by respect and accountability.

NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, the first Jewish woman to lead the department, connected the night’s message to the Torah reading of Parashat Balak. It is “the story of an extraordinary and unexpected blessing,” she said. “As the Jewish people succeeded on the battlefield, Balak, the king of Moav, grew uneasy. He saw danger in their strength and sent Bilam, a non-Jewish prophet, to curse them. But when Bilam looked out over the Jewish encampment, he did exactly the opposite. He blessed them using some of the most beautiful language in the Torah—words still sung by children and recited upon entering a shul: Mah tovu ohalecha Yaakov, mishkenosecha Yisrael.”

Tisch noted how Bilam, though an outsider, recognized the depth of Jewish purpose and left his mark on Jewish history. She drew a parallel to Mayor Adams, saying, “Moments like that are rare—when someone outside the community sees its depth so clearly and honors it so deeply. But here in New York City, we are fortunate to have a leader who does exactly that: Mayor Eric Adams.”

She then addressed the rise in antisemitic incidents following October 7. “At the NYPD, we treat every antisemitic incident with urgency. Our teams monitor threats constantly—online and in person. We coordinate with synagogues, yeshivahs, and Jewish organizations to keep our communities safe,” she said. “Because safety isn’t just about protection. It’s about presence. It’s about standing together and making it clear that Jewish New Yorkers are not alone. This city is with you—and so is your police department.”

First Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro, who is not Jewish, spoke personally about his deep connections to the Jewish community and his pride in standing with Mayor Adams. “Some of you are probably wondering what this Italian New Yorker is doing speaking at a Jewish Heritage event,” he began with a smile. “Well, let me tell you... My beloved mother-in-law, Roz Bernstein, used to say: ‘What’s the difference between an Italian and a Jew? Nothing at all.’ And she welcomed me to the family.”

Mastro praised the mayor’s establishment of the Office to Combat Antisemitism and his heartfelt response to the October 7 attacks. “This is a mayor with a head and a heart—and his heart is with the Jewish community,” he said. “I was there when he spoke in Central Synagogue and brought the entire congregation to tears. His compassion is real, and it’s constant,” adding that his daughter was bat mitzvah and his wife, Dr. Janine Bernstein, serves on the Central Synagogue board. “So many times people ask me if I’m Jewish,” Mastro said. “And I always say, ‘I’m not—but I wish I were.’”

When Mayor Adams took the podium, his words were raw, personal, and deeply rooted in history. He warned against the slow normalization of antisemitism using a science-class metaphor: “If you place a frog in hot water, it jumps out. But if you place it in cool water and raise the temperature slowly, it will sit there until it boils to death. That’s what we’ve seen with antisemitism—one degree at a time.” He continued, “The first thing we must acknowledge is that the heat of antisemitism has gotten too hot in our country, and it cannot continue to rise in our city where we have the largest Jewish population outside of Israel.”

He explained why the fight against hate is deeply personal: “Why do I do this as an African American? Go back to the name Julius Rosenwald. He opened 4,000 schools in the Deep South when African Americans were not allowed to sit in integrated schools. At one time, 40 percent of the students from the Deep South were in his schools.”

He added, “I do it because of the young men who went to Mississippi and died because they were fighting for civil rights. I do it because when Dr. King needed allies to march next to him, he found those allies in the Jewish community.”

Mayor Adams pledged to reverse the trend. “I’m here to turn off the flame, to get the frog out of the pot, and make sure we don’t allow hate to live in our city.”

He acknowledged the anxiety many Jewish New Yorkers have expressed in recent months, particularly following the primary election. “I’ve heard this year, many of my Jewish brothers and sisters saying they’re leaving. And I’m saying to you—we will run no more. We will stay and fight for the city that we love.”

He continued, “We will not be the generation of fleeing and of leaving. We will be the generation to push back against hate.” He emphasized New York as a place where all people should feel safe expressing their identity—whether wearing a yarmulke, hijab, turban, or Star of David. “History has shown that through time, you often have to find yourself leaving, fleeing,” he said. “From the days of Moses, to fleeing Spain, to the Jewish quarters in Rome, to the days of the Holocaust—you found yourselves constantly leaving. But not anymore. This city belongs to you—as it belongs to every group.”

As the program moved toward its honors segment, Mayor Adams returned to the theme of belonging and history. “This city has the largest Jewish population outside of Israel,” he said, addressing the crowd directly. “And it’s a population that has been forced to leave too many places throughout history. But not here—not now. We will not allow hate to chase you away from your city.”

Joe Shami, a Syrian Jewish community leader, declared: “Not just the greatest mayor of New York City, but the greatest friend of the Jewish people—period.”

Chesed24/7 was honored for its critical work maintaining hospitality rooms in hospitals across New York, providing food, comfort, and a sense of Jewish belonging.

British author and journalist Douglas Murray closed the evening with words that challenged the audience to stay vigilant: “After October 7, too many sided with the attackers. Mayor Adams stood for truth. The danger of antisemitism is that once society tolerates it, it will play with every dark prejudice next.”

The night ended with unity, pride, and a powerful call to stand tall and remain visible as Jews in New York—much like it began, echoing the message of strength and belonging that Queens Assemblymember David Weprin shared in his opening words. And throughout the evening, guests continued to enjoy a festive atmosphere enhanced by the rich barbecue offerings provided by Mendy’s Delicatessen, whose flavorful spread helped make the evening feel like a true celebration. Special thanks also to music sensation YoniZ, who provided lively musical entertainment at the start of the program.

By Shabsie Saphirstein