Jewish legal groups slam Mamdani’s exclusion of Jews from judicial appointments panel

Jewish legal organizations have criticized New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani for excluding Jews from his 18-member Mayor’s Advisory Committee on the Judiciary (MACJ), despite New York having the largest Jewish population in the US. In a letter, the Brandeis Association of Queens and other groups expressed deep disappointment, stating, "Excluding Jewish representation from this committee is neither reflective nor inclusive. It follows a troubling pattern that has left many Jewish New Yorkers feeling increasingly marginalized." They also cited Mamdani's rejection of Jewish MACJ candidate John Leventhal as particularly concerning. A spokesman for Mamdani, Joe Calvello, denied that the selections were religiously motivated, stating that Leventhal was passed over due to his past legal work for Ghislaine Maxwell.