Linda Argalgi Sadacka
Before serving on the New York City Council, Simcha Felder spent many years in the state senate, where he became known for his focus on local governance and quality-of-life issues affecting his constituents in the 22nd Senate District. In 2022, during his tenure as a state senator, he came to my home to present a Woman of Distinction award in recognition of my work in the community. The visit offered an opportunity to meet his staff and hear about the challenges facing our neighborhoods. I was struck by the seriousness, discipline, and clear commitment to serving constituents exhibited by both Felder and his staff members.
MOCA – A Mixed Bag
Earlier this month, New York City announced the appointment of Phylisa Wisdom to lead the Mayor’s Office to Combat Anti-Semitism, known as MOCA. The office was created in response to rising anti-Semitic incidents across the city, particularly following the surge in hate crimes and communal anxiety after October 7.
On paper, MOCA’s mission is straightforward: coordinate policy, strengthen protections, and address anti-Semitism at a citywide level. But for many in the Orthodox Jewish community, the appointment raised deeper questions – not simply about one individual, but about representation, process, and trust.
Councilman Simcha Felder has been among the most outspoken voices on the issue. He described the appointment as a “shanda” (Yiddish for something scandalously shameful).
That is strong language. He does not apologize for it.
“I’m not saying every administration has to include this one or that one,” Felder said. “But when you look at the numbers and see that Orthodox Jews are, by far, the greatest recipients of anti-Semitic attacks, it’s just common sense that [individuals with] their perspective should be represented.”
Visibility Exploited
Felder’s argument is grounded in a simple reality: visibility.
“If somebody gets on a train with a yarmulke,” he said, “and with a beard even more… it’s a very simple calculation [that this man is Jewish].”
Visibly Orthodox Jews do not blend in. Their Jewish identity is not theoretical. It is apparent. And when anti-Semitism manifests physically, it disproportionately targets those who are most visibly Jewish.
For Felder, any office created to combat anti-Semitism must begin with that lived experience.
Phylisa Wisdom’s Record
The new MOCA director previously worked at YAFFED, an organization that has been sharply critical of aspects of the yeshiva education system. That background, Felder argues, matters at a time when trust between City Hall and Orthodox communities is already strained.
Wisdom’s prior role at YAFFED is central to the concern. YAFFED has advocated for increased state oversight of yeshivas and has publicly challenged elements of Orthodox education. Many within the Orthodox community view the organization not simply as reform-oriented, but as adversarial – targeting institutions they consider foundational to Jewish religious life. For families who have experienced years of investigations, scrutiny, and political pressure surrounding their schools, that history is not abstract. It shapes their perception. When leadership of an office tasked with combating anti-Semitism comes from an organization that many Orthodox Jews feel worked against their core communal institutions, the issue becomes one of credibility. Trust, once strained, cannot be rebuilt by title alone.
The concern, as Felder frames it, is not personal. It is structural.
“This is not about rhetoric,” he emphasized. “It’s about responsibility.”
Felder Speaks Out
Felder recalls telling the mayor that he would prefer not to publicly criticize City Hall. “I would prefer not having to comment about anything that goes on,” he said. “But if somebody does something that’s outrageous… I have no choice but to respond. Not responding [by being silent] is agreement.”
He is aware that speaking bluntly can carry political consequences. But retaliation, he suggested, cannot dictate principle.
“There’s always somebody around that would like to hurt me,” he said, “no matter what I say or don’t say. So, I cannot be concerned with that.”
The deeper issue, in his view, is representation.
Who defines anti-Semitism? Who shapes policy? And who is consulted before major appointments are made?
For Felder, visibly religious Jews must not be sidelined in those conversations. They are not an abstract constituency. They are the people most frequently encountering anti-Semitism on sidewalks, in parks, and on public transportation.
Confronting the Current Reality
Ora Sheri Toiv, Senior Advisor, framed the issue in broader terms.
“This conversation is not about rhetoric,” she said. “It’s about whether New York City is positioned to meet the current moment with clarity and seriousness.”
That clarity, Felder believes, requires acknowledging the reality on the ground.
At the same time, he draws a careful distinction between city governance and broader political debates. Before first running for office, a mentor gave him advice he has never forgotten.
Felder’s Mandate
“You are not the prime minister,” the rabbi told him. “If you are a city councilman, make sure the garbage gets picked up. Make sure the buses have better routes. Don’t louse up transportation.”
That guidance still shapes his approach.
“It is not by the constitution of the city,” Felder said, “that the job is to run foreign policy. The job is to make sure sanitation works, transportation works, playgrounds are built.”
In his district, he points to tangible improvements: parks constructed with tax dollars, infrastructure upgrades, quality-of-life interventions. Governance, he believes, must focus relentlessly on what directly affects families day-to-day.
But anti-Semitism is not separate from our quality of life. It is central to it.
Prioritize NYPD Resources
When asked what concrete measures the city should prioritize immediately, Felder’s answered: more NYPD resources.
“Additional NYPD resources are absolutely necessary,” he said. Felder has advocated for increased policing since the Mayor De Blasio era, often, he notes, as a lone voice. He acknowledged that Speaker Menin recognizes the need for stronger enforcement, but Felder stresses that recognition must translate into deployment.
Swastikas defacing yeshivas. Jewish cemeteries vandalized. “The other week,” Felder noted, “we had 100 swastikas at Gravesend Playground.”
These are not symbolic incidents. They are visible reminders of vulnerability.
The debate over MOCA cannot be divorced from this reality.
Governor Hochul Stands Back
Felder also addressed criticism surrounding the invitation extended to Governor Kathy Hochul following the anti-Semitic vandalism. He emphasized that the issue was not about personalities, but about the governor’s authenticity.
“Why didn’t the governor want to be photographed at the Magen David Yeshivah that was defaced with swastikas?” Felder asked. “It wasn’t a problem with distance. It’s literally right there.”
He argued that the visit felt curated, avoiding visible evidence of the anti-Semitic damage.
“She wanted a political photo-op that showed no evidence of the vandalism we dealt with that day,” Felder said. “I find that hypocritical.”
This Too Shall Pass
For readers who feel anxious or powerless, Felder offers neither denial nor despair.
“Gam zeh ya’avor,” he said. This too shall pass.
Felder points to history. “NYC has been in the dumps before,” he said. “And we’ve seen a really great mayor, like Rudy Giuliani for example, come in and turn things around.”
Change, in his view, is possible. But it requires engagement.
Get Involved
“People who want to have a direct say in how things are run in their neighborhood should go to their Community Board meetings,” Felder said. “Go to NYPD precinct council meetings. These are the places where every day people can show up and have a direct say.”
Felder has actively recruited community members to serve on local boards. Representation, he argues, begins locally.
For Felder, civic participation is key.
“Vote,” he said. “I would go so far as to say it is a sin not to vote.”
Trust between communities and government is fragile. If Jewish New Yorkers begin to lose confidence in institutions meant to protect them, the consequences extend beyond policy.
“Our government is a government of the people, by the people, and for the people,” Felder said. “They can only do the things we fear if we let them.”
Silence, he suggests, empowers overreach. Engagement restrains it.
Address Anti-Semitism Properly
Referring to the appointment of an anti-Semitism “czar,” Felder recalled a famous exchange from Fiddler on the Roof when a villager askes, “Rabbi, is there a proper blessing for the Czar?” The rabbi responds, “… Of course! May Gd bless and keep the Czar… far away from us!”
It was delivered with humor. But the underlying message was serious.
Institutions created to combat anti-Semitism must build trust, not deepen suspicion.
New York is home to one of the largest Jewish populations in the world outside of Israel. The stakes are not small. When anti-Semitism rises here, it reverberates far beyond city limits.
The creation of MOCA acknowledged that the problem is urgent. The debate surrounding its leadership reflects something equally significant: the Jewish community is engaged.
And in a city like New York, engagement is leverage.
The Path Forward
The path forward, Felder believes, is twofold. Speak clearly when necessary. Focus relentlessly on quality of life. Show up. Vote. Serve.
“If it hurts, you scream,” he said. “You don’t think about it.”
But after the scream comes the work.
Sanitation. Policing. Representation. Budget priorities. Civic participation.
Combating anti-Semitism in New York is not a slogan. It is a test of governance. And governance, at its core, is about whether the people who feel exposed and vulnerable believe their city is standing with them – not in theory, but in practice.