NYC Mayor Mamdani shares Rosh Hashanah message with Jewish community

Zohran Mamdani shared a Rosh Hashanah message to Jewish New Yorkers, wishing those celebrating a sweet and meaningful holiday as they mark the start of the Jewish New Year.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani wished Jewish New Yorkers a happy Rosh Hashanah ahead of the Jewish New Year, writing in a post on X/Twitter Friday.

“Shanah Tovah, New York! Wishing all Jewish New Yorkers celebrating a sweet, joyful, and meaningful Rosh Hashanah,” Mamdani wrote.

The mayor added a message of hope for the coming year, writing, “Here’s to a new year filled with health, happiness, and blessings,” while adding a reference to the city’s basketball team: “and yes, even another Knicks championship.”

The post included a video showing Mamdani hosting 10 young Jewish children at City Hall ahead of the holiday. The group, five boys and five girls who appear to be around 5 or 6 years old, sat around a table with a plate of apples and honey in the center, a traditional Rosh Hashanah symbol representing hopes for a sweet new year.

In the 1-minute, 40-second video, Mamdani asks the children how they celebrate Rosh Hashanah, prompting them to explain the tradition of dipping apples in honey and wishing others a “Shanah Tovah.” One child says they wish the apples did not have skins, prompting Mamdani to respond, “Next year we’re gonna do that.” Later in the video, Mamdani slices apples for the children.

Mamdani shares his own hopes on Rosh Hashanah

Mamdani then asks the children what would make the coming year sweet for them. Their answers include “a jetpack,” “Moshiach (Massiah),” and “family.” Mamdani also shares his own hopes for the new year, saying, “I think for me a sweet new year would be if the Knicks went back-to-back. And if every New Yorker loved life in our city.” He then quietly adds to the child beside him, “and Arsenal winning the Champions League.”

The video concludes with Mamdani and the children standing together and saying, “Shanah Tovah.”

Jewish High Holy Days begin

Mamdani’s message came as Jewish communities in New York and around the world marked the beginning of Rosh Hashanah, the first of the High Holy Days and a period of reflection leading up to Yom Kippur.

The holiday marks the start of the Jewish new year and is traditionally observed with prayer, repentance, and hopes for a sweet year ahead.