Zohran Mamdani

Just two days after his newly appointed director of appointments resigned over a string of antisemitic social media posts, New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani posted a three-minute video of himself celebrating Hanukkah with actor Mandy Patinkin and his family.

The clip, shared Saturday on X, shows the incoming mayor lighting a menorah, cooking latkes, and reciting Hebrew blessings alongside Patinkin, his wife Kathryn Grody, and their son Gideon.

The video quickly surpassed one million views, generating a mix of praise and fierce criticism.

'It was such a joy to celebrate Hanukkah with Mandy, Kathryn, and their son, Gideon,' Mamdani wrote in his post. 'As Jewish New Yorkers across our city prepare to light candles and mark the seventh night today, I wish you and your families a Hanukkah full of light and love.'

The Scandal That Preceded the Video

However, the gesture was not well received by many due to its proximity to a damaging personnel scandal.

Catherine Almonte Da Costa, whom Mamdani had appointed as director of appointments, resigned Thursday afternoon, a day after taking the post, after the Anti-Defamation League exposed posts from 2011 and 2012 wherein she complained about 'money hungry Jews', referred to the Far Rockaway train as 'the Jew train', and made references to 'rich Jewish peeps'.

The Times of Israel reported that Da Costa, who had been tasked with recruiting key staff for Mamdani's administration, issued an apology and stepped down within hours of the posts coming to light. 'As the mother of Jewish children, I feel a profound sense of sadness and remorse at the harm these words have caused,' she said in a statement.

That scandal was still fresh when Mamdani's Hanukkah video dropped two days later, filmed during the holiday's first night.

Latkes, Prayers and a 'Blessed' Tenure

In the clip, Patinkin greets Mamdani with theatrical enthusiasm. 'It's the mayor! What are you doing here?' the Emmy and Tony-winning actor shouts whilst staring directly into the camera. The two then prepare latkes using family recipes, participate in Hebrew prayers, and light the menorah together. Patinkin performs the Shehecheyanu blessing, a Jewish prayer for new experiences, before declaring Mamdani's upcoming mayoral tenure 'blessed'.

'I immediately felt that you weren't so much just a politician, but something far more important to me, which was a human-itician,' Patinkin says in the video. USA TODAY reported that Patinkin praised Mamdani's 'care for equity and equality, for all human beings', adding that New York would 'teach other cities and then nations and then the whole world'.

Patinkin and Grody had previously endorsed Mamdani during the mayoral campaign, appearing in a promotional video for him in October. Both have been critical of Israel, with Patinkin telling The New York Times in June that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's actions in Gaza and the West Bank are 'endangering not only the State of Israel, which I care deeply about and want to exist, but endangering the Jewish population all over the world'.

'Staged Performance' or Genuine Outreach?

The video's reception split sharply along predictable lines.

Some social media users praised the interfaith gesture as warm and genuine. Others dismissed it as political theatre. Breitbart reported that critics slammed the appearance as a 'staged performance', with one X user writing: 'This has "I'm not antisemitic, some of my best friends are Jews" vibes.'

Others noted the historical irony. Hanukkah commemorates the rededication of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem after Jewish fighters reclaimed it from foreign occupiers, a celebration of Jewish sovereignty in ancient Israel.

Political commentator Joel M. Petlin wrote on X: 'Chanukah marks the re-dedication of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem after winning a war against Syrian Greek occupiers to restore Jewish sovereignty over Israel. That's what Zohran Mamdani and the Patinkin family just celebrated together, though they probably don't realise it.' JFeed described the juxtaposition as striking, given both men's public criticism of Israeli policies.

A Broader Battle for Jewish Trust

The controversy arrives at a delicate moment for Mamdani, who takes office on 1 January 2026 as New York City's first Muslim mayor. He's spent months trying to convince Jewish leaders that his fierce criticism of Israel doesn't translate to antisemitism. During the campaign, he repeatedly refused to condemn the phrase 'globalise the intifada', though he later said he discourages its use.

Polls show a majority of Jewish New Yorkers believe Mamdani will make the city less safe for Jews. Following his election in November, the ADL announced a special 'Mamdani Monitor' initiative to track his administration's policies and appointments. NBC News noted that the Da Costa resignation marked the latest in a series of staffing controversies, including another aide who apologised last month for anti-Israel social media posts.

Whether the Hanukkah video helps or hinders Mamdani's efforts to build trust with the Jewish community remains unclear. What's certain is that the incoming mayor faces an uphill battle convincing sceptics that his outreach is genuine rather than performative.

For now, New Yorkers are left to judge whether lighting a menorah on camera constitutes meaningful bridge-building or carefully staged damage control.

Originally published on IBTimes UK