\u201cWe live in a day when the first Muslim mayor of New York City and the first Jewish speaker of this council are serving at the same time. This moment truly is historic,\u201d Menin said in her acceptance speech. \u201cWhat will write this interfaith leadership into the history books is if it can act as an opportunity for all of us to come together \u2014 to calm tensions, to bridge divides, and to recognize we are one city, no matter the religion we practice or the language we speak.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAs the first Jewish speaker, I want my vision of leadership to be as focused on dissolving division as it is on uniting all coalitions. And most of all, I want to be a speaker for every single member of this council,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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Menin said in November<\/a> that she had secured enough support from the council to become its next speaker.<\/p>\n The council handles local legislation, negotiates the city\u2019s budget with the mayor, monitors city agencies, and reviews land use.<\/p>\n The council is a separate governmental branch from the mayor\u2019s administration, but interacts with the mayor and serves as a check on City Hall on issues like legislation.<\/p>\n The speaker is elected by council members and heads the legislative body in setting priorities, passing laws, and handling public funds.<\/p>\n Menin did not endorse a candidate for mayor, and Mamdani did not issue any endorsements in the speaker\u2019s race.<\/p>\n Mamdani\u2019s team had quietly attempted to scuttle Menin\u2019s campaign for the speakership in favor of a more progressive candidate, Politico reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n Menin told The New York Post<\/a> that she called Mamdani after he revoked<\/a> the city\u2019s use of the International Holocaust Remembrance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism last week to express her concerns about the move.<\/p>\n
If so, we have a year-end request.\u00a0<\/p>\n Every day during the past two years of war and rising global antisemitism, our journalists kept you abreast of the most important developments that merit your attention. Millions of people rely on ToI for fact-based<\/strong> coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.\u00a0<\/p>\n We care about Israel – and we know you do too.<\/strong> So as 2025 draws to a close, we have an ask: show your appreciation for our work by joining The Times of Israel Community<\/strong>, an exclusive group for readers like you who appreciate and financially support our work.\u00a0<\/p>\n \t\t\t
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