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11 Jewish things to do this Christmas in New York City

(New York Jewish Week) – Hanukkah may be over, but another time-honored Jewish holiday tradition is just around the corner: So-called “Jewish Christmas,” it’s that special time on Dec. 24 and 25 to eat Chinese food, see a new movie and hang out with friends as the non-Jewish world heads home for the holidays.
From Yiddish performances to bluegrass concerts to special Jewish-Chinese fusion meals, keep scrolling for our ultimate guide for Jews who are spending Christmas in the city this year.
Christmas Eve
Lebanese Jewish Cooking Class
Join the Lower East Side’s Romaniote synagogue Kehila Kadosha Janina (280 Broome St.) for a Lebanese Jewish cooking class. Rabbi Issac Choua will present a lecture on Lebanese Jews and will talk about the history of the Brooklyn store Sahadi’s, a Lebanese grocery store established in the city in 1895. Tickets for the 1:00 p.m. class start at $10, email museum@kkjsm.org to RSVP.
Jewish Christmas at Kubeh
The Israeli restaurant Kubeh (464 6th Ave.), dedicated to “lesser-known cuisines of the Middle East,” has devised a special Christmas menu on Dec. 24 and 25, featuring scallion ginger latkes, duck, fried rice and a fortune-filled donut. The pre-fixe meal starts at $65 per person, with the a la carte menu of traditional Israeli and Middle Eastern cuisine also available. Find the menu here and make your reservation here.
Wandering Jews of Astoria’s Christmastime with the Jews
The Wandering Jews of Astoria, a pluralistic Jewish group in Western Queens for people in their 20s, 30s and 40s that focuses on social events, is getting together on Christmas Eve for dinner at 5:00 p.m. at vegan restaurant Jujube Tree (35-02 30th Ave., Astoria) and afterwards, a movie at Regal UA Kaufman Astoria. RSVP and find out more information here.
Traditional Jewish Christmas at Mile End Deli
For another Jewish/Chinese fusion meal, head to Brooklyn for a “traditional” Jewish Christmas at Mile End Deli (97 Hoyt St.) on Dec. 24 and 25. At $55 per person, the menu includes hot and sour soup, smoked shiitake bao, crab rangoon, General Tso’s chicken and smoked meat fried rice. Make your reservations here.
“The Gospel According to Chaim”
A new Yiddish drama, “The Gospel According to Chaim,” by Mikhl Yashinsky is the first full-length Yiddish drama written and produced in the U.S. in some 70 years. The story centers around a former Hasid’s attempt to publish a Yiddish translation of the New Testament. Starring Yiddish writer, actor and teacher Yashinsky, Melissa Weisz, Joshua Horowitz and Sruli Rosenberg, the show opens on Dec. 24 at the Theater for the New City (155 1st Ave.) and runs through Jan. 7. Tickets start at $25.
The Matzoball
For those still looking to secure someone for a New Year’s kiss, there’s famously no better way to meet someone than at Matzoball, the long-running Jewish singles party on Christmas Eve. This year, the ball will take place at The DL (95 Delancey St.) on the Lower East Side. The party starts at 10:00 p.m. on Dec. 24 and will last until 4 a.m. Tickets start at $50, find more information here.
Daniel Kahn will receive the prestigious Adrienne Cooper Dreaming in Yiddish Award this year at Yiddish New York. (Adam Berry)
Yiddish New York Festival
Join klezmer and Yiddish fans from all over the world as they flock to New York City for the annual Yiddish New York festival, this year from Dec. 23-29. The festival, which is headquartered at Hebrew Union College (1 West 4th St.), includes jam-packed days of Yiddish language classes, lectures on Yiddish culture, film screenings, klezmer jam sessions, concerts, original plays and more. In the evenings, there are several special shows and programs, including a 7 p.m. Christmas Eve concert from pioneering klezmer musician Michael Alpert. The full festival pass costs $570 for in-person attendance and $369 for online; find out more information about tickets here and check out the full schedule here.
Christmas Day
Nefesh Mountain at the Jewish Museum
The Jewish bluegrass band Nefesh Mountain is playing two concerts at 11:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. on Christmas Day at the Jewish Museum (1109 5th Ave.), a perfect outing for a young family when work and school is closed. The concert tickets are included with the price of museum admission ($18) and guests have access to view the museum’s exhibits before and after the show, including “The Collars of RBG” and “Mood of the moment: Gaby Aghion and the house of Chloé.” Find more information here.
Stand-Up Comedy at PJ Bernstein’s
On Christmas Day, head to the Upper East Side for some stand-up comedy at Jewish deli PJ Bernstein’s (1215 3rd Ave.), where Jewish comics Harrison Greenbaum, Eitan Levine, Riley Lassin, Ben Kirschenbaum, Rachel Lander and Mikey Greenblatt plan to deliver a night of laughs. Tickets for the 7:00 p.m. event cost $15, with proceeds donated to Magen David Adom, Israel’s Red Cross. Get tickets and more information here.
Joel Chasnoff: “Christmas for the Jews”
Comedian Joel Chasnoff brings back his annual Christmas stand-up showcase: Christmas for the Jews, this year at City Winery (25 11th Ave.) on Dec. 25 at 7 p.m. The lineup also includes Jon Fisch, Ophira Eisenberg and Eli Lebowicz and musician Brian Gelfand on piano. Tickets start at $30, get them here.
Yiddish Princess Reunion
After a decade-long hiatus, Yiddish rock band Yiddish Princess will play a reunion concert at the Bowery Electric (32 Bowery St.) at 9 p.m. Co-founded by Sarah Mina Gordon and Michael Winograd, the band promises a “double guitar onslaught. Drums beating you into submission. Precious analog synths beckoning. And a voice that can shatter ice and coo you into mellifluous bliss.” Tickets start at $25.
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The post 11 Jewish things to do this Christmas in New York City appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
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New York Democrats Hesitate to Endorse Far-Left Zohran Mamdani Following Stunning NYC Primary Victory

Zohran Mamdani. Photo: Ron Adar / SOPA Images via Reuters Connect
Multiple moderate New York Democrats are hesitating to endorse Zohran Mamdani following his victory Tuesday in the New York City Democratic mayoral primary, citing concerns over his alleged antisemitism and socialist policies.
Mamdani, the 33‑year‑old state assemblyman and proud democratic socialist, toppled former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in a lopsided first‑round win in the Democratic primary for mayor, notching approximately 43.5 percent of first‑choice votes compared to Cuomo’s 36.4%.
Voters in New York City rank their choices in order of their preference. While Mamdani declared victory and Cuomo conceded defeat, the race’s ultimate outcome will technically be decided when every vote is tallied, taking into account the ranked choice count. Mamdani’s victory is all but assured.
Some observers have speculated that Mamdani’s win over an older, high-profile Democrat signifies growing frustration with the party’s status quo and represents a generational change
US Rep. Laura Gillen (D-NY), a freshman lawmaker representing a swing-district in Nassau County, slammed Mamdani for his far-left economic agenda and repeated “antisemitism.”
“Socialist Zohran Mamdani is too extreme to lead New York City. His entire campaign has been built on unachievable promises and higher taxes,” Gillen said in a statement. “Beyond that, Mr. Mamdani has called to defund the police and has demonstrated a deeply disturbing pattern of unacceptable antisemitic comments which stoke hate at a time when antisemitism is skyrocketing.”
Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-NY), a moderate lawmaker representing the Empire State’s 3rd district, also declined to endorse Mamdani, citing “serious concerns.”
“I had serious concerns about Assemblyman Mamdani before yesterday, and that is one of the reasons I endorsed his opponent. Those concerns remain,” Suozzi posted on X.
High-profile Democratic leaders in New York such as Sen. Chuck Schumer, Gov. Kathy Hochul, and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries have congratulated and complemented Mamdani, but have not yet issued an explicit endorsement. Each lawmaker has indicated interest in meeting with the presumptive Democratic mayoral nominee in New York City to hold discussions prior to making a decision on a formal endorsement.
The progressive representative in the New York State Assembly has also sparked outrage after engaging in a series of provocative actions, such as appearing on the podcast of anti-Israel, pro-Hamas influencer Hasan Piker and vowing to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visits New York.
During an event hosted by the UJA-Federation of New York last month, Mamdani also declined to recognize Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state.
“I believe that Israel has a right to exist with equal rights for all,” Mamdani said in a carefully worded response when asked, sidestepping the issue of Israel’s existence specifically as a “Jewish state” and seemingly suggesting Israeli citizens do not enjoy equal rights.
Then during a New York City Democratic mayoral debate, he once again refused to acknowledge Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state, sparking immediate backlash among the other candidates.
In 2023, while speaking at a Democratic Socialists of America convention in New York, Mamdani encouraged the audience to applaud for Palestinian American community activist Khader El-Yateem, saying “If you don’t clap for El-Yateem, you’re a Zionist.”
During that same speech, Mamdani touted his longstanding anti-Israel activism.
“I was somebody who began my journey in organizing and in politics by co-founding my school’s first Students for Justice in Palestine. The struggle for Palestinian liberation was at the core of my politics and continues to be,” Mamdani said.
Students for Justice in Palestine has been at the forefront of the wave of pro-Hamas demonstrations that have engulfed college campuses during the Gaza war.
Jewish leaders in New York, the broader US, and even abroad have expressed alarm over Mamdani’s primary victory, with many accusing him of antisemitism and noting he has made anti-Israel activism a cornerstone of his political career.
The post New York Democrats Hesitate to Endorse Far-Left Zohran Mamdani Following Stunning NYC Primary Victory first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Sweden Democrats Apologize for Past Nazi Links, Antisemitism as Election Nears

Mattias Karlsson, Sweden Democrats politicians, addresses party members after election in Stockholm, Sweden, Sept. 9, 2018. Photo: REUTERS/Ints Kalnins
The anti-immigration Sweden Democrats apologized on Thursday for the party’s past Nazi links and antisemitism, part of efforts to present a more moderate, mainstream image to voters ahead of a national election next year.
The Sweden Democrats were presenting the results of a specially commissioned study that found Nazi and antisemitic views to have been common at party functions and in its printed materials in the 1980s and 1990s.
“That there have been clear expressions of antisemitism and support for National Socialist ideas in my party’s history I think is disgusting and reprehensible,” Mattias Karlsson, a member of parliament often described as the party’s chief ideologist, told a news conference.
“I would like to reiterate the party’s apology, above all to Swedish citizens of Jewish descent who may have felt a strong sense of insecurity and fear for good reasons.”
The commissioning of the study sought to acknowledge and break with a past that has long hindered its cooperation with Sweden‘s mainstream political parties. The Sweden Democrats hope to join a future coalition government after the 2026 election.
The party first entered parliament in 2010 and currently supports Sweden‘s governing right-wing coalition government but has no members in the cabinet.
Tony Gustafsson, the historian hired by the party to write the book, said the party had emerged in the 1980s out of neo-Nazi and white supremacist organizations and that it had continued to cooperate with them into the 1990s.
“The collaboration seems to have involved using these groups to help distribute election materials,” Gustafsson said, adding there were strong indications that one such group, the “White Aryan Resistance,” had served as security guards at party gatherings.
Gustafsson said there had been a clear connection to Nazism until 1995, the year that current party leader Jimmie Akesson joined the Sweden Democrats, but that the Sweden Democrats had begun distancing itself from such links thereafter.
The post Sweden Democrats Apologize for Past Nazi Links, Antisemitism as Election Nears first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Supreme Leader, in First Appearance Since Ceasefire, Says Iran Would Strike Back if Attacked

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks in a televised message, after the ceasefire between Iran and Israel, in Tehran, Iran, June 26, 2025. Photo: Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS
Iran would respond to any future US attack by striking American military bases in the Middle East, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Thursday, in his first televised remarks since a ceasefire was reached between Iran and Israel.
Khamenei, 86, claimed victory after 12 days of war, culminating in an Iranian attack on the largest US base in the region, located in Qatar, after Washington joined the Israeli strikes. No casualties were reported in the Iranian attack, which was coordinated with both US and Qatari authorities beforehand in an apparent effort to show a symbolic display of force without triggering retaliation.
“The Islamic Republic slapped America in the face. It attacked one of the important American bases in the region,” Khamenei said.
As in his last comments, released more than a week ago during the Israeli bombardment, he spoke from an undisclosed indoor location in front of a brown curtain, between an Iranian flag and a portrait of his predecessor Ruhollah Khomeini.
In his pre-recorded remarks, aired on state television, Khamenei promised that Iran would not surrender despite US President Donald Trump’s calls.
“The US President Trump unveiled the truth and made it clear that Americans won’t be satisfied with anything less than surrender… such an event will never happen,” Khamenei said.
“The fact that the Islamic Republic has access to important American centers in the region and can take action against them whenever it deems necessary is not a small incident, it is a major incident, and this incident can be repeated in the future if an attack is made,” he added.
Trump said “sure” on Wednesday when asked if the United States would strike again if Iran rebuilt its nuclear enrichment program.
Tehran has for decades denied accusations by Western leaders that it is seeking nuclear arms.
NO GAIN
Khamenei said the US “gained no achievement” after it attacked Iranian nuclear sites, but that it entered the war to “save” Israel after some of Tehran’s missiles broke through Israel’s multi-layered defense system.
“The US directly entered the war as it felt that if it did not get involved, the Zionist regime [Israel] would be fully destroyed. It entered the war to save it,” he said.
“The US attacked our nuclear facilities, but couldn’t do any important deed … The US president did abnormal showmanship and needed to do so,” he added.
Trump said over the weekend that the US deployment of 30,000-pound bombs had “obliterated” Iran‘s nuclear program. Officials and experts are still probing the extent of the damage.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also declared “a historic victory” on Tuesday, after the fragile ceasefire took effect, saying Israel had achieved its goal of removing Tehran’s nuclear and ballistic missile threat.
Shortly after Khamenei’s speech, Netanyahu posted a message with a picture of himself and Trump holding hands with the message: “We will continue to work together to defeat our common enemies.”
The post Supreme Leader, in First Appearance Since Ceasefire, Says Iran Would Strike Back if Attacked first appeared on Algemeiner.com.