Prominent Jewish Groups Decline to Sponsor NYC Mayor's Interfaith Breakfast

Absence of mainstream Jewish sponsors exposes rift over leadership and solidarity amid rising antisemitism

Published on Feb. 6, 2026

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Several prominent Jewish organizations, including the UJA-Federation of New York, the New York Board of Rabbis, and the Anti-Defamation League, have declined to sponsor the annual mayoral interfaith breakfast in New York City this year. The move reflects a broader rift between the mayor's office and mainstream Jewish communal leadership, as more progressive Jewish groups have stepped forward to participate in the event.

Why it matters

The interfaith breakfast has long served as a symbolic ritual affirming New York City's religious and cultural diversity, but its evolving sponsorship reflects deeper tensions over which Jewish voices are privileged in municipal spaces. At a time of rising antisemitism, the question of who speaks for Jewish New Yorkers in civic forums has implications for how effectively the city can address hate.

The details

The absence of several institutional Jewish sponsors, including the UJA-Federation, the New York Board of Rabbis, and the Anti-Defamation League, has fueled speculation about the nature of the rift between City Hall and mainstream Jewish organizations. The ADL's regional director cited concerns about prioritizing the protection of Jewish New Yorkers over symbolic gestures, while other critics have accused the mayor of marginalizing pro-Israel voices. Meanwhile, more progressive Jewish groups like Jews for Racial and Economic Justice and the New York Jewish Agenda have stepped forward to co-sponsor the event, reflecting a broader shift in the city's Jewish political landscape under the mayor's leadership.

  • The annual mayoral interfaith breakfast is scheduled for this Friday, February 10, 2026.
  • The breakfast has been an annual tradition in New York City since it was established by former mayor Michael Bloomberg in 2002.

The players

Zohran Mamdani

The current mayor of New York City, who is hosting this year's interfaith breakfast.

UJA-Federation of New York

A major Jewish philanthropic organization that has sponsored the interfaith breakfast in past years but is not participating this year.

New York Board of Rabbis

An organization representing Jewish religious leaders that has sponsored the interfaith breakfast in past years but is not participating this year.

Anti-Defamation League (ADL)

A prominent Jewish civil rights organization that has sponsored the interfaith breakfast in past years but is not participating this year, citing concerns about prioritizing the protection of Jewish New Yorkers over symbolic gestures.

Jews for Racial and Economic Justice

A left-wing Jewish group that is co-sponsoring the interfaith breakfast this year, reflecting a shift in which Jewish voices are privileged in the event.

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What they’re saying

“While a breakfast itself does not ultimately matter, protecting every Jewish New Yorker does.”

— Scott Richman, Regional Director, ADL New York and New Jersey (The Jerusalem Post)

“I would be aghast if organizations such as UJA, the New York Board of Rabbis, and the ADL were to support the breakfast in light of Mamdani's anti-Zionism.”

— Rabbi Marc Schneier (The Jerusalem Post)

What’s next

The mayor's office has not released a full list of sponsors or speakers for this year's interfaith breakfast, fueling speculation about the extent to which City Hall is seeking to manage the optics of Jewish participation.

The takeaway

The evolving sponsorship of the mayoral interfaith breakfast reflects deeper tensions within New York's Jewish community over which voices are privileged in civic rituals of inclusion, with implications for how effectively the city can address rising antisemitism.