A Sad Day For New York
Eric Adams' Dropout is a Real Loss For NY Jews
New York Mayor Eric Adams drops out of the 2025 mayoral race, leaving a city and its Jewish community concerned about leadership, antisemitism programs, and the potential rise of progressive challenger Zohran Mamdani.
Eric Adams just announced he's dropping out of the mayor's race, and it's hitting a lot of us hard. In that video he put out yesterday, he talked about the scandals, the feds dropping that indictment, and how the campaign finance folks made it impossible to keep going. Now, say what you want about the guy, he was a hands-on leader who actually got stuff done in a city that's always one crisis away from chaos. And for the Jewish community here, which is huge and deals with way too much hate these days, Adams was more than just a politician; he was a real ally. With him stepping aside, especially if someone like Zohran Mamdani ends up in City Hall, things could get rough.
He wasn't afraid to get personal with the community either, working with Orthodox leaders on things like yeshiva rules or expanding eruvs, and pumping money into Holocaust education in public schools. Guys like Brooklyn DA Eric Gonzalez and Manhattan's Alvin Bragg have said he was a real partner in fighting bias. Even in tough times, like that July speech where he quoted the boiling frog metaphor about letting hate simmer, he made it clear: we're not letting this slide. For a lot of us, whether you're in Crown Heights, the Upper West Side, or anywhere in betwee, Adams felt like someone who got it, without all the pandering.
Of course, he wasn't perfect. Those corruption probes hurt his image, even if the charges got dropped under Trump. Some progressive Jews called him out for being too cozy with pro-Israel groups or how the cops handled protests. But overall, he was a bridge-builder in a city that's way too polarized.
Now, with Adams out, the race is wide open, and it's looking like Mamdani might take it. The 33-year-old from Queens, a Democratic Socialist who smoked Cuomo in the primary, has a platform focused on rent controls, free subways, and soaking the rich, which sounds good to a lot of folks struggling here.
But his takes on Israel? They're worrying. He won't condemn "globalize the intifada," says he'd arrest Netanyahu if he came to town over those ICC warrants, and he's all about cutting U.S. aid to Israel, calling Gaza a "genocide." He skips AIPAC events and pushes BDS vibes. Polls have him at 46%, and if he wins, Jewish groups are nervous about what happens to those anti-hate programs or how the NYPD deals with protests. Even the state Dem chair, Jay Jacobs, wouldn't endorse him, saying the party's too split.
Adams closed his video with Sinatra's "My Way," and yeah, that's him, did it his way, warts and all. New York could use more of that grit right now. He'll be missed, especially if the next guy's more about division than getting things done.
Adams came in back in 2022 as this no-nonsense Democrat, a former cop who promised to clean up the streets without turning into a total authoritarian. And honestly, he delivered on a lot of that. Crime dropped by about 25% in his first couple years because he pumped money into the NYPD and got officers out there talking to people in the neighborhoods. Remember how he was always showing up at crime scenes or subway stops? That wasn't just for show, it worked. On the economy, his "New New York" push helped bring back Midtown after COVID wrecked it, with new zoning rules that got tech companies and jobs flowing in, over 100,000 new gigs created. Sure, he had messes like the migrant situation and budget fights, but he tackled them head-on instead of kicking the can down the road.
What really stood out, though, was how he stood up for the Jewish folks in this city. New York's got the biggest Jewish population outside Israel, and with antisemitism spiking, vandalism, assaults, all that crap, Adams didn't just talk; he acted. Back in 2023, he was at that massive "New York Stands With Israel" rally, sharing stories from his trips to Israel as a senator and how he protected Jewish areas as a cop. He set up the Mayor's Office to Combat Antisemitism in 2025, which worked with DAs to crack down on hate crimes and beef up security around shuls and schools. And he signed off on using the IHRA definition of antisemitism, which helps draw a clear line between fair criticism and outright bigotry. Just this month, he showed up at Netanyahu's UN speech, even as protesters were raging outside. That took guts.