A Chanukah message from New York City’s mayor-elect set off a wave of reactions online this weekend after he released a carefully produced Chanukah video featuring actor Mandy Patinkin and his family.
The more than three-minute clip, posted today, shows Zohran Mamdani spending time at Patinkin’s New York home during the first night of Chanukah last week. The video depicts the mayor-elect cooking latkes, joining in Hebrew prayers, and taking part in the candle lighting alongside Patinkin, his wife Kathryn Grody, and other family members.
Mamdani, a pro-Palestine socialist whose outspoken anti-Zionist positions have made his relationship with much of the city’s Jewish community contentious, appears relaxed and cheerful throughout the footage as the group marks the Festival of Lights together.
At the start of the video, Patinkin theatrically reacts to Mamdani’s arrival, calling out, “It’s the mayor! What are you doing here?” while looking directly at the camera in what many viewers saw as a deliberately staged moment.
Later in the segment, Mamdani offers a brief toast, saying, “Here’s to more light,” as the candles burn. Patinkin responds with his own remark before the group sits down to eat, telling Mamdani, “You’re mayoral tenure or whatever it’s called has now been blessed.”
Mamdani also shared the video on X, writing, “It was such a joy to celebrate Hanukkah with Mandy, Kathryn and their son, Gideon.” In the same post, he added a broader holiday message to city residents: “As Jewish New Yorkers across our city prepare to light candles and mark the seventh night today, I wish you and your families a Hanukkah full of light and love.”
Reaction online was sharply divided. While some commenters praised the message and welcomed the gesture, others dismissed it as insincere and overly performative.
“This has ‘I’m not [anti-Semitic] some of my best friends are Jews’ vibes,” one follower wrote.
Another commenter was more blunt, saying, “Man, he will do anything to make New Yorkers think he supports the Jewish community.”
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Doesn’t count. Didn’t light a Chabadsker menorah.
How is this different than other anti zionists celebrating chanukah?
Do all anti zionists celebrate chanukah by making it all about their political beliefs that are taken from the Yevonim themselves?
Wow. This really brings to mind the old Yiddish expression of “vee ah yevoni in der sukkah”
Why does a guy like Mandy Patinkin celebrate Hanuka for all together? His side ,the Misyavnim, lost. I just hope this wasn’t filmed on Shabbos.
Play-acting for the clueless.
asher kidishanu bemitzvosav!!!!!!!!
he is a goy!! hashem made only the YIDDEN holy with the mitzvos
not the goyim!!!!!
Anti-Zionist Mamdani Celebrates Chanukah
Neither he nor his host are celebrating Chanuka. They are using Hanuka to advance their political goals and beliefs.