The administration of New York City Mayor Eric Adams is fighting back against claims that its recently established Jewish Advisory Council lacks diversity.
This accusation was made public in a New York Times article on Thursday that included quotes from liberal rabbis and U.S. Rep. Jerry Nadler claimed that there were too few women and Orthodox members on the council.
The Times said that only nine of the council’s 37 members are female and that 23 of them are Orthodox.
In a letter supplied to the Times, Upper West Side Democrat Nadler claimed that Mayor Adams did not “adequately represent the demographic diversity of Jewish New Yorkers.”
I encourage the mayor to work to better account for that diversity with changes to the membership of the council so that it can be balanced appropriately to reflect the full range of views and needs of the community,” she said.
Nadler’s assertion was supported by Ruth Messinger, a former Manhattan Borough President and president of the American Jewish World Service.
A representative for Adams disputed the claim that the council isn’t diverse enough in a statement.
The council, according to the spokesman, “comprises a diverse assembly of Jewish men and women hailing from various religious and cultural backgrounds, including Chabad, Conservative, Hasidic, Non-Denominational, Modern Orthodox, Reform, Sephardic, and Yeshiva Orthodox affiliations.”
According to the spokesman, grouping these organizations together to imply that there is either “too much” or “not enough” is disrespectful to their individuality and uniqueness as well as the Jewish people’s sensibilities.
The Jewish Advisory Council was created with inclusivity in mind, according to a representative for city hall, and the mayor is urging anybody who feels they can contribute to apply.
The council was formed to address issues affecting Jewish New Yorkers, such as rising antisemitism and antisemitic hate crimes, education, and quality of life.
Last week, the 37 rabbis, Jewish activists, and community leaders gathered at City Hall to meet with Adams for the council’s first meeting.
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