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\t\t\t\tBy signing up, you agree to the terms<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThere are people here who lost nearly all their friends at that point, either because they had disagreements about Israel or they were getting picked on by their communities,\u201d Kantor said. \u201cSo hopefully, we have an opportunity to help them make new friends, and sometimes find romantic relationships, with people who are more aligned with their identities.\u201d<\/p>\n While those associated with synagogues or other Jewish institutions are often able to find community more easily, unaffiliated Jews often have to take more initiative, said Hindy, a JSC administrator who asked for her last name not to be used.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are a growing number of people organizing Jewish picnics and hikes without any sort of political messages or judging anyone for their religious observance,\u201d Hindy said. \u201cWe just want to have a good time with friends and live a meaningful life.\u201d<\/p>\n \t Illustrative: A Shabbat meal. (Gefilteria\/Shulie Seidler Feller)<\/p>\n While dating apps like Hinge and Bumble have been popular in recent years, people are now seeking more in-person interactions, leading to an explosion of singles events, particularly after October 7, several said.<\/p>\n Among notable initiatives are Jewish running groups like Nice Jewish Runners<\/a> and Trybal Gatherings<\/a>, a sort of Jewish summer camp for adults, as well as a variety of Shabbat meals people organize for people with different religious and cultural identities, added Ally Zoll, a participant at the picnic.<\/p>\n Public events like the city\u2019s annual city\u2019s pro-Israel parade<\/a> also serve to help strengthen communal bonds, she added.<\/p>\n \t Israel Day on 5th in New York City, May 18, 2025. (Luke Tress\/Times of Israel)<\/p>\n Some people said the events of October 7 made them rethink other aspects of their social lives, as well.<\/p>\n \u201cBefore the war, I didn\u2019t really care about religion or ethnicity in dating,\u201d said Josh Pilch, a resident of Connecticut who came to Manhattan specifically for the picnic. \u201cLike, dating someone Jewish was nice, but it wasn\u2019t a deal breaker. Now, for me and a lot of other people, it has become a hard requirement. Either you are Jewish or you are willing to convert. End of story.\u201d<\/p>\n Reacting to antisemitism<\/p>\n With antisemitism skyrocketing in New York and around the US since the October 7 attacks, the picnic-goers gave differing accounts of how their lives have changed over the past 22 months.<\/p>\n In 2024, a record 9,354 cases of harassment, vandalism, and assault were recorded in the US, according to<\/a> the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). In New York City, more than<\/a> half<\/a> of all hate crimes are directed against Jews.<\/p>\n Michelle Levine, a 24-year-old graduate student with Latin American roots, said she was previously part of a community advocating for minorities at her university. After October 7, she was publicly shamed for supporting Israel and shunned by her friends for \u201cinvading Black spaces,\u201d she recalled.<\/p>\n Now, she frequently feels isolated and is often afraid to wear Jewish symbols like a Star of David necklace in public.<\/p>\n \t Michelle Levine and Josh Pilch at a Jewish community picnic in Central Park, August 17, 2025 (Zev Stub\/Times of Israel)<\/p>\n \u201cI feel like it\u2019s so hard to socialize these days outside the Jewish community, because it\u2019s like everybody hates us,\u201d Levine said.<\/p>\n Jonathan B, who asked not to share his last name, said he has recently noticed more people wearing keffiyehs around New York in solidarity with the Palestinians.<\/p>\n \u201cI saw five or 10 people wearing them in the park on the way over just now,\u201d he said. \u201cI thought about saying something to them, but it\u2019s probably wiser that I didn\u2019t. I don\u2019t feel afraid of antisemitism in Manhattan, but I do feel threatened when I see things like that.\u201d<\/p>\n \t Pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel protesters wear keffiyehs as they march from City College to Columbia University against the Trump administration\u2019s policies and to demand \u201cliberty, solidarity and accountability\u201d from their universities, in New York on April 25, 2025. (Leonardo Munoz\/AFP)<\/p>\n Sivan Salem, a Brooklyn resident, said that seeing anti-Israel graffiti or signs around the city makes living in New York feel \u201cheavy.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t feel unsafe, but there is a heaviness seeing these direct attacks on my people,\u201d said Salem.<\/p>\n Nonetheless, she insists on wearing a necklace supporting Israel\u2019s hostages every day as a signal of her identity.<\/p>\n \u201cOften, if I see someone else in the street wearing one, we\u2019ll give each other a knowing nod,\u201d Salem said.<\/p>\n \t Brooklyn resident Sivan Salem at a Jewish community picnic in Central Park, August 17, 2025 (Zev Stub\/Times of Israel)<\/p>\n Everyone we spoke to said they were deeply concerned about the likelihood that Zohran Mamdani will be elected mayor of New York City in November. Mamdani, a clear frontrunner in the polling, is an outspoken supporter<\/a> of the Palestinian cause, and many are worried that life in the city would become significantly more hostile towards Jews under his leadership.<\/p>\n Mamdani\u00a0has been a vocal supporter of the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, and has refused to condemn the use of the phrase \u201cGlobalize the Intifada,\u201d which many view as a call to violence.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Gefilteria-Photo-by-Shulie-Seidler-Feller-640x400.jpg\")
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