Mastodon
Jewish voter network launches campaign to boost turnout in New York
(RNS) — The network's organizers say they are responding to the rise of antisemitism, Jewish voters' top concern in upcoming elections.
Volunteers with the Jewish Voters Action Network interact with pedestrians on Manhattan's Upper East Side in New York. (Photo by Avishai Rostamian)

(RNS) — As New Yorkers gear up for local elections in 2025, the Jewish Voters Action Network is working to increase turnout among Jewish voters in the city. In early January, the nonpartisan organization launched a $7 million campaign to mobilize Jews to the polls.

“We want to make sure that our voices are heard at the ballot box,” said the group founder, Maury Litwack.

Litwack said that the city’s elected officials have failed to address the Jewish community’s concerns about rising antisemitism. “There have been more bold antisemitic attacks than ever before, and it’s something that the Jewish community is feeling. They’re feeling it, they’re seeing it, and they’re looking to take action against it,” he said.


Besides the race for mayor, which has drawn nine candidates including incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, New Yorkers will elect five new borough presidents, a comptroller and a public advocate. All 51 City Council seats are also on the ballot this year.

Maury Litwack, founder of the Jewish Voters Action Network. (Courtesy photo)

Litwack launched the network in 2024 after years working locally to engage Jewish voters in California, Florida, New Jersey and New York. Other volunteers from those campaigns, he said, often expressed a wish for support from a national organization.

The rise of antisemitism convinced him that the need for this type of organization was more pressing.

In April 2023, when Republican Councilwoman Inna Vernikov, a Jewish Brooklyn resident, introduced a bill to establish an “End Jew Hatred Day,” the measure was being pushed by the End Jew Hatred Campaign, which has worked to create similar awareness days in five U.S. cities. 

The New York measure was adopted despite two council members voting against it and four abstaining. 

One no vote came from Shahana Hanif, councilwoman for Brooklyn’s Park Slope neighborhood, home to an important Jewish community. The other was Sandra Nurse, who represents the Brooklyn neighborhood of Bushwick. 


Hanif, who currently works on her own bill on antisemitism, said she opposed the resolution because she considered End Jew Hatred to be a “right-wing organization.”


Help us continue our bold reporting on religion
RNS believes that matters of faith and spirituality aren't just important; they shape our world. That's why we're committed to reporting on all the world's religions, and showing how faith, and faith leaders, affect policy, politics, education, science, and almost any other issue you may care about. As a nonprofit newsroom, we depend on readers, just like you, for our support. If you value the articles, commentary and podcasts we provide, consider making a donation today to ensure we can keep the news coming in 2025.
Deborah Caldwell, CEO and Publisher
Donate today