In front of a crowd of about 300 that included Hasidic rabbis and 20-something-year-old pro-Israel influencers, New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Sunday signed an executive order recognizing the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism.
The signing took place at Tribeca Synagogue, an Orthodox congregation downtown, during a conversation between Adams and talk show host Phil McGraw — aka “Dr. Phil” — in front of a raucous crowd of supporters. Billed as a “panel discussion,” the event featured two 13-minute speeches about the scourge of antisemitism from both McGraw and Adams, and a conversation between the pair. Throughout the evening, the audience gave multiple standing ovations and there were even a few chants of “four more years.”
The embattled mayor is courting votes from the Jewish community as he faces record-low approval ratings and an uphill battle in his campaign for reelection. Following a federal corruption probe, Adams became the city’s first sitting mayor to be indicted last September. In April, the Trump administration dropped the charges against Adams, prompting some to accuse him of striking a quid pro quo with the Justice Department in exchange for Adams’ assistance in carrying out Trump’s immigration policies.
Long a supporter of Israel with close ties to Brooklyn’s Hasidic Jewish communities, who supported him in his previous mayoral campaign, Adams is running for reelection as an independent on two new ballot lines: “Safe&Affordable” and “EndAntiSemitism.”
In recent weeks, Adams has appeared multiple times on McGraw’s show, “Dr. Phil Primetime,” which now airs on his own network, MeritTV. In mid-May, their on-air discussion was also about antisemitism — topics included anti-Zionist activism on college campuses, the release of Israeli-American Gaza hostage Edan Alexander, and how anyone who saw the video footage from the attacks on Oct. 7 should oppose Hamas.
Both men, neither of whom are Jewish, wore kippahs while on the bimah, the altar or stage, as per the request of Tribeca Synagogue, which is famous for its excellent acoustics that allow for sound amplification on Shabbat. Adams attended Rosh Hashanah services at Tribeca Synagogue — the synagogue located closest to City Hall — in the fall of 2024.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams and ‘Dr.’ Phil McGraw discuss antisemitism at the Tribeca Synagogue. (Jackie Hajdenberg)
“We decided we were going to have this event and talk about solidarity,” McGraw, who is outspoken about his pro-Israel views, said on Sunday, addressing Adams from the stage. “I came to you and asked if you would join in and be part of this, because I admire so much what you’re doing in this city to fight antisemitism.”
The talk show host has recently aligned himself with President Trump, having been appointed by the president to the newly created Religious Liberty Commission on May 1. (McGraw has said as recently as this past April that he supports the display of the Ten Commandments in American classrooms.)
Adams’ signing of the executive order means that city agencies will adopt the IHRA definition of antisemitism. His intent, according to a press release, is “to facilitate constructive discourse, further understanding, and enable a thoughtful response to antisemitic hate in New York City.” Adams is also introducing legislation to New York’s City Council, “calling on them to match this commitment by codifying this definition in new legislation.”
The executive order adopting the IHRA antisemitism definition appears to be the first initiative of a new office, created last month: The Mayoral Office to Combat Antisemitism, which aims to fight antisemitism “in all its forms.”
“This EO will enable us to promote and understand and facilitate a thoughtful response to antisemitic hate in New York City,” Adams said on Sunday, minutes before signing the document on the bima. “This definition gives us the tools to crack down.”
The IHRA working definition of antisemitism was published in 2016 and has since been adopted by 35 countries. The definition outlines specific forms of antisemitism, including denying Jews the right to self-determination, applying the blood libel to Israel, and holding all Jews accountable for the actions of the State of Israel. The working definition has been criticized by some on the left who worry that applying the IHRA definition will have a chilling effect on debate around the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and will curtail free speech,
In 2019, under Trump, the United States adopted the IHRA definition via a presidential executive order. Thirty-five U.S. states have also adopted the definition.
“Adopting the IHRA definition of antisemitism will help us as we set up our interagency task force, creating policy, proposing legislation, making sure that organizations that are funded by the city are following what we believe and show that is antisemitism,” Moshe Davis, Adams’ Jewish liaison for community affairs and the executive director of the new Office to Combat Antisemitism, told the New York Jewish Week.
Adams’ announcement on Sunday came at the same time as seven candidates for mayor — including Zohran Mamdani, Adrienne Adams and Brad Lander — participated in a Jewish community forum at B’nai Jeshurun that was co-organized by Congregation Beth Elohim, Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan, and New York Jewish Agenda.
The Democratic mayoral frontrunner, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo — who has called antisemitism “the most serious and most important issue” in the mayoral campaign— was not present at either event.
Previously, Cuomo had said that, if elected, he would adopt the IHRA definition of antisemitism, as has Whitney Tilson, a former hedge fund manager, former Comptroller Scott Stringer, and City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams.
New York City Comptroller Lander, who is Jewish, has said he would prefer to focus on building “unity” around different definitions of antisemitism; Mamdani said he admired the Biden administration’s National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism; Zellnor Myrie said he advocates a “citywide framework”.
Antisemitic hate crimes surged in New York City last year, with Jewish people being the target of more than half of all hate crimes in the city, the NYPD reported last October, despite being only about 10% of the total population.
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