Julie Menin elected NYC council president, first Jewish woman to hold post

Julie Menin has been unanimously elected president of the New York City Council, making history as the first Jewish woman to hold the post. Her election is being closely watched by the city’s Jewish and pro-Israel communities, who view her as a stabilizing moderate against the progressive agenda of newly elected Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

A lifelong Democrat, Menin comes from a family of Holocaust survivors and has been a vocal advocate for Jewish causes and Israel. She visited Israel in solidarity following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks and has championed Holocaust education while warning against the rise of antisemitism in New York.

Menin has openly criticized several of Mamdani’s early decisions, including revoking the city’s adoption of the IHRA definition of antisemitism and canceling anti-boycott decrees related to Israel. She also opposes the mayor’s plan to end the partnership between Cornell University and Israel’s Technion, citing the program’s contribution to thousands of tech-sector jobs.

“I was very concerned about the annulment of presidential decrees and other points, and I communicated my concerns directly to the mayor,” Menin said. 

At the same time, she stressed the need for unity across the city’s political divides: “We are living in a time when the first Muslim mayor of New York and the first Jewish City Council president are serving simultaneously. We must ease tensions, bridge divides, and understand that we are working for one and the same city.”

Menin secured the position with the support of 36 of 51 council members, including all Republicans, several progressives, and most of the newly elected members. She brings extensive experience in city government, having served as Commissioner of Consumer Affairs, Commissioner of Media and Entertainment, and Director of the 2020 Census.