{"id":509384,"date":"2026-01-11T21:49:43","date_gmt":"2026-01-11T21:49:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/509384\/"},"modified":"2026-01-11T21:49:43","modified_gmt":"2026-01-11T21:49:43","slug":"prominent-nyc-rabbi-welcomes-new-protest-rules-reacts-to-mamdanis-reversal-of-adams-era-executive-orders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/509384\/","title":{"rendered":"Prominent NYC Rabbi welcomes new protest rules, reacts to Mamdani\u2019s reversal of Adams-era executive orders"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\t\t\t\t<img width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/2025-11-19T195732Z_658349277_MT1ZUMA000U426JZ_RTRMADP_3_ZUMA.jpg\" class=\"crop-center wp-post-image\" alt=\"2025-11-19T195732Z_658349277_MT1ZUMA000U426JZ_RTRMADP_3_ZUMA\" decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\"   title=\"Prominent NYC rabbi welcomes Mamdani order directing NYPD to better regulate protests near houses of worship 1\"\/>\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p>Jewish counter-protesters gather in front of Park East Synagogue as police keep demonstrators separated during a protest against a Nefesh B\u2019Nefesh event on Nov. 19<\/p>\n<p>Photo by Yoav Ginsburg\/ZUM<\/p>\n<p>A prominent NYC rabbi expressed cautious optimism after Mayor Zohran Mamdani quietly reinstated <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amny.com\/politics\/mamdani-executive-orders-antisemitism-israel-distrust-jewish\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">an Adams-era executive order that he previously revoked<\/a>: One that directed the NYPD to better regulate protests outside houses of worship, including synagogues.<\/p>\n<p>Rabbi Marc Schneier, president of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, applauded the mayor\u2019s newly implemented <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nyc.gov\/mayors-office\/news\/2026\/01\/executive-order-02\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Executive Order No. 2<\/a>, which echoes the direction of an order that former Mayor Eric Adams had issued in December, but which Mamdani had revoked on his first day in office, Jan. 1.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEstablishment of zones where protest activities would be prohibited or regulated within an area of at least 15 feet and up to 60 feet from the entrance to a house of worship, or zones outside of houses of worship where protest activities are allowed,\u201d Mamdani Executive Order 2, in part, states.<\/p>\n<p>Per the order, the NYPD will also review its patrol guide to provide guidance on how officers must protect people entering a house of worship or exercising their right to free speech.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n<p>Schneier had suggested the idea to regulate demonstrations near religious institutions during a phone conversation with the mayor shortly after he was elected on Nov. 4, 2025. A demonstration outside the Park East Synagogue, run by Schneier\u2019s father, Arthur, in November, prompted the phone conversation.<\/p>\n<p>Schneier called the new executive order a \u201cwelcomed\u201d move from the new administration.\n<\/p>\n<p>Revocation of other Adams\u2019 orders \u2018troublesome\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Even though Mamdani implemented the new protections, he revoked others on Jan. 1 that centered around the official definition of antisemitism and city investments in Israel\u2014both of which were put in place by the mayor\u2019s immediate predecessor, Eric Adams.<\/p>\n<p>Schneier does not agree with the revocation of the two orders as they hurt protections for Jewish New Yorkers and do not support recognizing Israel as a Jewish state.\n<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s troublesome,\u201d he said. \u201cThose two orders deal with the state of Israel.\u201d\n<\/p>\n<p>In June 2025, Adams\u00a0signed a historic executive order to recognize the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance\u2019s working definition of antisemitism, which some have said can include criticism of Israel\u2019s government as antisemitic.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Later, on Dec. 2, Adams\u2019 order <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nyc.gov\/content\/dam\/nycgov\/mayors-office\/downloads\/pdf\/executive-orders\/2025\/eo-60.pdf?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_name=&amp;utm_source=govdelivery\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">No. 60<\/a> was established to prohibit city officials and appointees who handle contracts from discriminating against Israel, Israelis or those connected to the Middle Eastern country in their purchasing decisions.<\/p>\n<p>Mamdani used his authority as mayor to scrub <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amny.com\/politics\/adams-signs-orders-israel-investments-nyc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the protections<\/a>, as well as a list of other executive orders established by Adams after his Sept. 26, 2024, federal indictment for bribery, campaign finance and conspiracy offenses.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Although the charges were ultimately dismissed on April 2, 2025, Mamdani said upon taking office that he wanted a \u201cfresh start\u201d for his administration.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cToday marks the first step in building an administration that works for all New Yorkers,\u201d Mamdani said on Jan. 1.\u00a0\u201cWe\u2019ve established the foundations of it, and now it\u2019s time to deliver on our affordability agenda, tackle the challenges facing New Yorkers, and usher in a new era for New York City \u2014 one that proves that government can deliver for working people.<\/p>\n<p>Responding to \u2018pro-Hamas\u2019 language at protests<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, a protest against land sales in the Middle East\u2019s West Bank took place at a Yeshiva of Central Queens synagogue on Jan. 7, just a week after Mamdani took office.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>During the demonstration, protestors chanted messages such as, \u201cSay it loud, say it clear, we support Hamas here,\u201d prompting swift responses from area politicians, but a slow one from the mayor. His next-day statement said, in part, \u201cthat we saw in Kew Gardens Hills last night are wrong and have no place in our city.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Schneier applauded the mayor\u2019s response but was appalled at how late it was announced.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe had a belated response. He did not react the way that Gov. Hochul did or [Council Speaker] Julie Menin did,\u201d Schneier said. \u201cBut you have to give him credit, he did condemn the protestors for their chant.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-137644093\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/RMS-Headshot-e1758546438100.jpeg\" alt=\"Rabbi Marc Schneier\" width=\"700\" height=\"566\" title=\"Prominent NYC rabbi welcomes Mamdani order directing NYPD to better regulate protests near houses of worship 2\"\/>Rabbi Marc SchneierCourtesy Rabbi Marc Schneier<\/p>\n<p>Mamdani continues to raise concerns among many New Yorkers as his refusal to recognize Israel as a Jewish state remains steadfast. To Schneier and others, any demonization of Israel will \u201conly lead to physical attacks on Jews\u201d in NYC.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe has yet to publicly recognize or acknowledge the existence of the state of Israel as a Jewish state. That continues to be problematic,\u201d the rabbi said.\n<\/p>\n<p>Still, Schneier, ever the optimist, remains hopeful that the Mamdani administration will improve its relations with Jewish New Yorkers.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m looking at the cup half full, not half empty,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s a process.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Jewish counter-protesters gather in front of Park East Synagogue as police keep demonstrators separated during a protest against&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":509385,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5122],"tags":[5229,12648,20796,227812,29536,197259,227813,32989,405,403,5226,5225,5228,5227,13145,5257,7237,5292,194862,83273,227814,67,586,132,5230,68,2969,5301],"class_list":{"0":"post-509384","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-new-york","8":"tag-america","9":"tag-antisemitism","10":"tag-executive-order","11":"tag-foundation-for-ethnic-understanding","12":"tag-free-speech","13":"tag-houses-of-worship","14":"tag-israel-policy","15":"tag-jewish-community","16":"tag-new-york","17":"tag-new-york-city","18":"tag-newyork","19":"tag-newyorkcity","20":"tag-ny","21":"tag-nyc","22":"tag-nyc-mayor","23":"tag-nypd","24":"tag-protests","25":"tag-public-safety","26":"tag-rabbi-marc-schneier","27":"tag-religious-freedom","28":"tag-synagogue-security","29":"tag-united-states","30":"tag-united-states-of-america","31":"tag-unitedstates","32":"tag-unitedstatesofamerica","33":"tag-us","34":"tag-usa","35":"tag-zohran-mamdani"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":"Validation failed: Text character limit of 500 exceeded"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/509384","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=509384"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/509384\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/509385"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=509384"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=509384"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=509384"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}