On a night infused with conviction, heartbreak, and unity, Mayor Eric Adams hosted a powerful roundtable discussion alongside Dr. Phil McGraw and dozens of Jewish leaders, community activists, Holocaust survivors, and young advocates to address the surge of antisemitism in New York City and across the globe. Held at Manhattan’s Tribeca Synagogue on short notice, the event marked a watershed moment: the official signing of an executive order adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism across all New York City agencies.
Aryeh Bourkoff, Jewish philanthropist and producer of two acclaimed Holocaust-themed documentaries, opened the evening invoking the moral responsibility of the Jewish people to work toward a better world, even amid war and mourning. Speaking with deep admiration for Mayor Adams and Dr. Phil, Bourkoff described both men as honorary members of the Jewish community not through heritage, but through values and moral integrity.
Dr. Phil candidly expressed how unexpected it may seem for a “country boy from Texas and Oklahoma” raised Baptist to be a leading non-Jewish voice against antisemitism. “I developed a real problem with bullies,” he said. He called the October 7 attacks war crimes, denounced elite institutions for their silence or worse, their support for Hamas, and warned of societal decay due to ignorance and ideological simplification.
“I met students who didn’t know what the Holocaust was,” he lamented, recalling a young woman who thought it was a natural disaster. Quoting Ben-Gurion: “It’s not what the antisemites say. It’s what the rest of us do.” He also reminded the audience that the Holocaust began with words and silence, not bullets. “There’s no ‘post’-traumatic stress for Jews right now. It’s not post — because it’s not over.”
Dr. Phil drew a striking contrast between the global response to 9/11 and the muted or twisted reactions to October 7, pointing out that while the world rallied around the U.S., Jews have faced not support but condemnation. He challenged religious leaders across faiths to denounce antisemitism as a moral failing, not a political issue. “If you can’t say it’s wrong to rape and murder civilians, what can you say?”
He spoke of the courage it takes to speak truth in a climate of fear and warned that silence enables violence. “I don’t have to be Jewish to stand up. I just have to be human.”
Mayor Adams echoed Dr. Phil’s moral urgency. “Hamas must be destroyed. Every hostage must come home,” he declared. He described how antisemitism has become normalized in classrooms and public discourse, pointing to his experiences visiting Yad Vashem and Auschwitz: “You don’t just say ‘Never Again.’ You live it.”
Adams warned that antisemitism is no longer fringe but dangerously mainstream, infiltrating institutions from government to media. “The silence from college presidents and cultural influencers has been deafening,” he said. He called on every city agency and community partner to treat antisemitism as a threat to the city’s soul.
He signed an executive order making the IHRA definition of antisemitism the official standard for all NYC agencies. The definition is already embraced by the U.S. State Department, 35 states, and over 80 municipalities, stating: “A certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews... including denying the Holocaust, delegitimizing Israel’s right to exist, or holding Jews collectively responsible for Israel’s actions.”
“Let’s take this from policy and make it law,” Adams urged, calling on Speaker Adrienne Adams and the City Council. He emphasized this measure protects free speech while giving clarity and force to the fight against hate.
He added, “This city knows what it means to stand for what’s right. And I won’t allow Jewish New Yorkers to stand alone. Not on my watch.”
The event transitioned to a town hall-style dialogue. Dr. Phil asked why antisemitism spiked after October 7. Adams pointed to social media’s role in amplifying bigotry. Dr. Phil noted extremists exploit students’ search for identity: “Hamas calls these students ‘useful idiots.’ And the students don’t even know it.”
Ron Segev, survivor of the Nova massacre, recalled hiding under fire, then returning to help others. Devorah Halberstam, whose son Ari was murdered in 1994, emphasized early education against hate. Shabbos Kestenbaum, who recently settled a suit against Harvard for antisemitic bias, praised Adams: “He didn’t just say things. He showed up. He did things.”
A Williamsburg rabbi raised longstanding housing discrimination against Jews. Adams pledged to investigate: “If there’s an ‘X’ next to a Jewish name on a housing list, we’re going to get to the bottom of it.”
Ruth Lichtenstein, Founder of Project Witness, said: “I am a child of two Holocaust survivors. Fighting antisemitism is my life’s mission.” She warned Jewish teachers and students are now afraid to speak up. She shared chilling accounts from schools where students are shamed or silenced when expressing Jewish identity or pro-Israel sentiment.
The mayor also drew a connection to the legacy of Julius Rosenwald, who partnered with Booker T. Washington to establish over 4,000 schools for Black children in the segregated South. “The bond between Black and Jewish communities is deep. When Jews stand for others, others must stand for Jews,” Adams affirmed.
Adams praised NYPD Deputy Commissioner Richie Taylor—nicknamed the “Jewish Tom Cruise”—and Deputy Mayor Fabien Levy for backing Jewish events and safety efforts with visible presence and follow-through.
In closing, Dr. Phil stated: “October 7 was the Jewish 9/11. What we do on our October 8 will define who we are.” Adams reaffirmed: “New York City will lead the nation in not just condemning hate — but confronting it with policy, leadership, and results.”
By Shabsie Saphirstein
