Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s pick to lead the Office to Combat Antisemitism in NYC sparked controversy on Thursday — drawing both criticism from those questioning the appointee’s suitability and strong endorsements from those welcoming the move.
The mayor tapped Phylisa Wisdom to spearhead the city’s response to antisemitism, a scourge that has increased by nearly 182% last month compared to January 2025. While Wisdom led a progressive Jewish advocacy organization, her appointment is receiving backlash from some Jewish leaders who are concerned about her suitability to lead the office, which was established under the watch of former Mayor Eric Adams.
“Phylisa is a respected leader and powerful voice in the fight against antisemitism in New York City, Albany and across the country,” he said. “Day in and day out, across all five boroughs, we will work together to root out antisemitism and build a New York City where Jewish New Yorkers are safe, respected and free.”
Wisdom most recently served as the executive director of the New York Jewish Agenda (NYJA), a liberal advocacy organization that has been a vocal critic of Israel’s military actions in Gaza. While NYJA strongly condemned the Hamas terror attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, it has also publicly called for a halt to Israel’s military response.
The organization spoke out against the retaliation efforts as early as November 2023, just weeks after the terror attack that left 1,200 people dead and hundreds more held hostage — saying it is “deeply distressed by the approach being taken by the Netanyahu government.”
The NYJA has also opposed the Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) “Mamdani Monitor,” launched after the mayor won last year’s election, to track and monitor the policies, personnel appointments actions of his administration that could affect the well-being of Jewish New Yorkers.
“This is a dangerous, divisive and unproductive approach from the ADL,” the organization said in an online statement about the monitor.
Jewish leaders hit back at the Wisdom’s appointment on Feb. 5. An ADL spokesperson told amNewYork the organization now has “serious concerns” about the office’s ability to confront antisemitism under its new leadership.
“The director of this office serves as a critical voice for Jewish New Yorkers and plays a central role in ensuring their safety,” the spokesperson said. “ADL has shared concrete recommendations to strengthen the office’s effectiveness and protect the entire community, without exception or qualification.”
Rabbi Marc Schneier, president of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, criticized Wisdom for opposing the widely adopted definition of antisemitism.
“The leader of the Office to Combat Antisemitism must understand a basic truth. Israel cannot be bifurcated from Judaism,” Schneier said. “Ms. Wisdom’s opposition to the IHRA [International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance] definition of antisemitism, adopted by 50 nations worldwide and 37 of 50 states in America, calls that understanding into question.”
The IHRA definition of antisemitism is extensive, but shortened, it is described as a “certain perception of Jews” that can be expressed as hatred.
amNewYork contacted Wisdom to inquire about the claim that she opposes the IHRA definition and is awaiting a response.
Wisdom, while at the NYJA, advocated for legislation in Albany to combat antisemitism and other forms of hate. She also testified before the NYC Council in support of funding for hate-crime prevention, the mayor’s office explained.
Her appointment was welcomed by other elected officials, including City Comptroller Mark Levine, a former colleague of Wisdom.
“I have had the pleasure of working with Phylisa during her tenure at NYJA, and have found her to be consistently smart, open-minded, and collaborative,” he said. “I admire her ability to build bridges in the Jewish community, and beyond, at a time when this is sorely needed.”
The NYC Council’s fight against antisemitism
Meanwhile, City Council Speaker Julie Menin has taken on her own battle against hate in forming the new Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, chaired by Council Member Eric Dinowitz of the Bronx. Council Member Inna Vernikov, a Republican from Brooklyn, is also part of the task force.
The council’s initiative is different from the mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism in that it will focus on legislative policy and action to address rising antisemitism in the city.
The mayor’s actions against antisemitism traditionally focus on citywide strategies to stop anti-Jewish hate crimes, provide liaisons to the Jewish community, and promote awareness and education to counter bias.
“The mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism was established about a year ago and will be expanded under the new administration,” Sam Raskin, a City Hall spokesperson, said. “The City Council’s task force, which launched last month, operates within the legislative branch and has its own distinct role and mandate. The Mamdani administration office looks forward to collaborating with the council’s task force.”
Rabbi Schneier doubled down on the importance of recognizing the IHRA’s definition of antisemitism as public city policy.
“Eighty-one years after the liberation of Auschwitz, honoring the six million Jews murdered in the Holocaust demands vigilance, moral clarity and the courage to speak out against those who choose to define and reformulate the definition of antisemitism in our day,” he said.
