Dr. Bernie Furshpan, vice chairman of the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County, voiced strong concerns over comments and policy positions made by New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mandani, saying they risk promoting intolerance and division.
“Based on what they’ve shown him to say—it’s not hearsay—it doesn’t make the Jewish community feel safe if he’s elected,” Furshpan said. “Any kind of villainization of a group of people becomes normalized, and anything that’s normalized is very dangerous. People find it okay to terrorize Jews or any group for that matter.”
Furshpan, the son of Holocaust survivors, warned that such rhetoric mirrors patterns that historically led to genocide. “This is how the Holocaust started, and all genocides start that way,” he said. He cited the targeting of the Chinese community during COVID-19 as a modern example of marginalized groups facing violence and abuse.
Anti-Semitism reared its ugly head after October 7 when the deadly attack on Israel by Hamas shocked the world. In New York City, demonstrations erupted that quickly turned hostile, with some protesters shouting slogans calling for Israel to be “pushed into the sea,” even as the country fought to root the terrorist organization out of Gaza. Synagogues, Jewish community centers, and local neighborhoods faced increased security concerns, and many in the Jewish community expressed fear and outrage over the public displays of hatred, highlighting the dangerous rise of anti-Semitic sentiment amid the ongoing conflict.
The activist also criticized Mandani’s comments suggesting taxation based on race. “He’s villainizing white people. That’s not OK,” Furshpan said. “We are all related. We are all one. We should never see ourselves as separate races… everybody should have the same opportunities. What you do with it is your business.”
Drawing on lessons from history, Furshpan said that the normalization of marginalizing others is not just harmful—it’s dangerous. “All genocides start with ideologies and criticisms of groups of people,” he said. “Comedians, lawyers, politicians…when they normalize criticizing a group of people, it’s dangerous. Every person on this planet, no matter what color or background, has the same desires, the same needs, the same fears. We just have to be more empathetic and see that we are related.”
Furshpan said he finds it alarming that voters might embrace such ideas. “It scares me to think that people actually accept this and are willing to vote them in. That is the scary part.” He stressed that political leaders must promote coexistence, empathy, and teamwork across communities.
Reflecting on the bigger picture, Furshpan said, “If we all focused on what unites us, like during 9/11 when the country came together, we could live in peace and harmony. We have to remember that. That’s the lesson we keep forgetting.”
Through his work at the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center, Furshpan has dedicated himself to teaching these lessons, emphasizing that understanding history is essential to preventing future hate and violence.