After Mamdani's Mayoral Win In NYC, Westhampton Beach Rabbi Vows To Open New Jewish Day School

WESTHAMPTON BEACH, NY — With Zohran Mamdani victorious in the New York City mayoral election, Rabbi Marc Schneier of the Hampton Synagogue in Westhampton Beach announced plans for a new Jewish day school.

"With the news of Zohran Mamdani's mayoral victory, I am announcing plans for the building of the first Jewish day school in the Hamptons," he said. "This is in anticipation of the thousands of Jewish families that will flock to the Hamptons and greater Suffolk County to escape the antisemitic climate of Mamdani’s New York City."

The new school will be located on the synagogue campus in Westhampton and is slated to open in 2027. The facility will be housed in a brand-new building, still in the development phase, a representative for Rabbi Schneier said

Many have voiced concers over what they deem Mayor-Elect Mamdani's anti-Semitic stance. After his election, the Anti-Defamation League announced a Mamdani Monitor. "In light of Mayor-Elect Mamdani's long, disturbing record on issues of deep concern to the Jewish community, ADL is watching and responding to the policies and appointments of the new administration. Sign up for alerts and opportunities for you to take action and help keep Jewish New Yorkers safe."

According to Eyewitness News, Mamdani said recently, ""I take the issue of antisemitism incredibly seriously."

Rabbi Schneier said he was the first Jewish leader "to issue warnings about Mr. Mamdani's antisemitic rhetoric," beginning in June, with the latest in aDaily News op-ed last Wednesday. At the same time, the rabbi said he offers advice for Mamdani, who he says should speak with Muslim leaders across the world.

A global leader in interfaith diplomacy, Rabbi Schneier has spoken often of fostering "peace and dialogue across Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates."