De Blasio’s Jewish Problem

Bill de Blasio is serving glatt kosher to Jewish leaders at Gracie Mansion tonight, but the mayor may pass on a plate.

That could be the only way to avoid the political heartburn from Jewish community events that is sticking to this mayor like cream cheese on a bagel.

The latest bout of grief hit last Tuesday at a dinner sponsored by Agudath Israel, an organization representing stringently Orthodox Jews. De Blasio attended and spoke to the 1500-strong crowd.

So did a well-known Orthodox leader, Rabbi Yaakov Perlow, who reportedly called non-Orthodox Judaism “heresy” that would “subvert and destroy the eternal values of our people.” He also railed against the philosophy of a new movement of less cloistered, more liberal observant Jews called “Open Orthodoxy,” urging listeners to “stand up and reject” it.

Within hours, de Blasio’s reaction to the rabbi’s call-to-arms was under scrutiny. New York Times columnist Michael Powell lacerated de Blasio for failing a “test of courage” by not condemning the harsh rhetoric directed against the progressive Jewish movements. De Blasio, peppered with demands for further comment, refused to identify which portions, if any, he heard of the speech. Orthodox leaders pushed back against descriptions of the speech as divisive, asserting it stemmed from a deep concern for Jewish survival.

Was the chicken at the New York Hilton so good that the city’s religiously unaffiliated mayor was willing to wade into intra-Jewish controversy?

Probably not, but a Jewish world riven by battles over identity, intermarriage and Israel is increasingly insistent on sucking him into its most heated debates.

The tsouris started shortly after de Blasio took his oath of office, when he paid a January courtesy call on supporters of the center-right pro-Israel lobby known as AIPAC.

Echoing the affection his predecessors often expressed for the Jewish state, de Blasio told the group that part of his job was to be a defender of Israel and that City Hall would “always be open” to AIPAC.

No big news. Every recent New York City mayor was a pro-Israel cheerleader. And when he was Public Advocate, de Blasio helped lead the opposition when the Park Slope Food Co-Op in his neighborhood contemplated a boycott of Israeli products.

But de Blasio’s AIPAC speech and its unqualified pro-Israelism was immediately engulfed in an unexpected storm of criticism from the progressive political movement with which the mayor is so closely associated.

A boldface name roster of Jews critical of Israeli policies toward the Palestinians—from Eve Ensler to Gloria Steinem—signed an open letter to the mayor declaring that AIPAC, which advocates unreservedly for the Israeli government, “does not speak for us.”

With prominent Jews this divided over whether you can be deeply (or disproportionately) concerned about the Palestinians and still use the pro-Israel label, it’s no wonder elected officials are recalibrating their Middle East positions, courting Israel-questioning Jews in addition to the country’s ardent defenders.

If organizers of yesterday’s Celebrate Israel parade on Fifth Avenue had granted hard liners’ requests to exclude left-wing Jewish groups from marching, de Blasio’s appearance there would have given him a bad case of the political bends. Many of his own supporters would have demanded he boycott the march in protest. Maybe that’s why a de Blasio ally, City Councilman Brad Lander, tweeted out his thanks to parade organizes for keeping the controversial groups in.

De Blasio wants a big tent and shows no interest in choosing among his divided Jewish backers. He represented the Orthodox in the City Council and is determined to keep them in his camp despite his liberal reputation.

But de Blasio’s warm welcome at the Agudath dinner also reflects the organization’s own relief at the end of the Bloomberg administration. Many Orthodox leaders were highly uncomfortable with the previously intermarried, avowedly secular Jewish mayor, who showed little interest in religious ritual despite his passion for Israel.

They prefer a friendly Italian, even a very liberal one.

Bloomberg said he would never be intimidated by “10,000 guys in black hats” screaming outside his office. His widely deployed philanthropic largesse didn’t really reach the ultra-Orthodox world.

In contrast, de Blasio is restoring childcare vouchers benefiting large Orthodox families. And the Human Rights Commission just dropped Bloomberg-era charges that the dress code of an ultra-Orthodox store discriminated against less modestly clad customers.

But secular and dovish Jews are starting to exact a price for de Blasio’s affinity for AIPAC and the Orthodox, attempting to hold Hizzoner’s progressive bona fides hostage to his willingness to be critical of their more observant or hawkish co-religionists. It’s only a question of time before a liberal Jewish leader responds pointedly to Rabbi Perlow’s speech, in the Mayor’s presence, and Orthodox criticism ensues.

Politically confounding internal divisions may be part of the “Jewish Heritage” being celebrated at Gracie Mansion tonight, though many guests will be focused more on the cuisine than the conflict.

But you can’t blame the Mayor if he keeps an eye on the backdoor. He may need to step out for a bite.

Ryan Karben is an attorney and public affairs strategist. He was a Democratic assemblyman from 2003 to 2006. You can find him on Twitter @rkarben or at ryankarben.com.