The New York Mayoral election increasingly has become a focal point of our congregation, our city, and our country’s Jewish community. I have heard from many of you about your deep concerns, and I share many of them.  

I have long been clear that anti-Israel rhetoric could result -- and at times unequivocally and painfully has resulted -- in antisemitism and antisemitic violence, including directed against our own congregation. As a Central clergy team, we have spoken from the pulpit in multiple past sermons and will continue to take a clear, unambiguous position on antisemitism, on anti-Zionist rhetoric, and on sharing our deep support for Israel. Our commitment to Zionism is one of our congregation’s unshakeable tenets and teachings.

We recently published Central Synagogue’s policy reaffirming our position of not endorsing or publicly opposing political candidates. The separation of church and state has been a bedrock principle of American democracy that has been at the heart of protecting Jews and other religious minorities in this country. The erosion of this and the potential reduction of synagogues to partisan campaign stops is both dangerous for our democracy and for the state of our Judaism.  

You know where I stand on the Jewish issues at stake today. I also know there are many other concerns people hold in this election. It is up to each of us to vote our conscience. It is not all you can do: There are political organizations, including Jewish ones, where electoral politics is the core mission. Get involved. Central Synagogue, however, is a Jewish spiritual home and we want to keep it that way. It remains our conviction that political endorsements of candidates are not in the best interest of our congregation, community, or country.

You can view the full policy here. As we said in August, this policy is rooted in the following core principles that define the fundamental nature and mission of our congregation:

We are a spiritual home. Our primary mission is to provide a sacred space for prayer, learning, and connection among Jews of all backgrounds.

We cherish diversity. Our congregation reflects a wide range of political views, and we honor that pluralism.

We speak through Jewish values. When we engage with political issues, we do so through the lens of Jewish teachings and tradition—not partisan platforms.

We have not and will not endorse candidates or parties. Our role is not to enter political campaigns or to endorse or speak out against candidates, but to provide moral and spiritual clarity on important public issues.

I hope and expect anyone who becomes mayor of our amazing city – home to the largest Jewish population outside of Israel – will take very seriously the expressed concerns (made directly and publicly) of so many of us in the Jewish community. That includes the security of our houses of worship, schools, and communal gatherings, as well as the bedrock belief in the importance of the Jewish state — as a singular place for Jewish self-determination after thousands of years of persecution. All leaders must reject the idea that Jewish self-determination is up for negotiation, or that Jewish inclusion is something others have the power to grant.

This sentiment was expressed recently in an Open Letter entitled “A Rabbinic Call to Action: Defending the Jewish Future,” with hundreds of Rabbis signing on. I have long refrained from joining collective letters, even when I might agree with much of their content, for many reasons, including how they can flatten sensitive subjects and how the media, politicians or pundits often manipulate and use them. This Open Letter is no different. I find it more true to offer my reflections directly to you. I do so with deep appreciation for the sincerity and conscience that lead others to speak in concert.

My commitment to the Jewish state has been a constant throughout my life and Rabbinate. My relationships with Rabbinic colleagues in New York remain warm and collaborative, grounded in shared purpose even when our individual choices or expressions differ. The Jewish community is broad and diverse, yet we must not forget what binds us as one family.

In closing, while Central will not take an official position on any particular race, I encourage all of us to vote in this important election. The Jewish people have thrived in New York for hundreds of years, and I have no doubt we will continue to do so going forward. Israel is core to my heart and to the identity of so many in our extended family, in this city, and in this congregation. I will do everything in my power to make sure that any future mayor understands that Israel is an inseparable and integral part of our congregation’s values.

Shabbat shalom,

Rabbi Angela Buchdahl