Councilwoman Julie Menin poised to become NYC’s first Jewish speaker

Sources tell the New York Post that several members of Mamdani’s camp had scrambled to push city lawmakers to vote for Hudson but were unable to overcome Menin’s cross-borough coalition.

By Aaron Sull, Jewish Breaking News

Jewish Manhattan Councilwoman Julie Menin is poised to take the speaker’s gavel with a broad coalition of moderates and Republicans, setting up the first real check on Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s progressive agenda.

The Council speakership is one of the city’s most powerful positions, functioning as an independent branch of government responsible for legislation, oversight, and control over key portions of the city’s $116 billion budget.

Although a formal vote won’t take place until January, Menin announced Wednesday that she has already secured a “super majority” of 36 pledges.

“I am honored and humbled by the trust and faith that my colleagues have put in me to lead the City Council as a force of action for New York families,” she said.

Her rival Brooklyn Councilwoman Crystal Hudson quickly signaled defeat as the tally became clear.

“I have always said this should be a member driven process; and today, my colleagues have made their choice clear,” Hudson said in a statement.

Sources tell the New York Post that several members of Mamdani’s camp had scrambled to push city lawmakers to vote for Hudson but were unable to overcome Menin’s cross-borough coalition.

Menin, who represents the Upper East Side and is known for her work combating antisemitism and promoting Holocaust education, would become the first Jewish speaker in the Council’s history.

Her personal story—including her mother’s and grandmother’s survival of the Holocaust—has long informed her public advocacy on Jewish issues, including support for the Israel Day Parade and a solidarity trip to Kfar Azza earlier this year.

Mamdani’s record of supporting the BDS movement and his past anti-Israel rhetoric have fueled concerns among Jewish voters—especially in Menin’s district, where resistance to his candidacy ran high.

Those fears sharpened last week when pro-Hamas demonstrators disrupted an Israeli immigration event at the Park East Synagogue.

While Mamdani criticized the synagogue for hosting an event he claimed violated “international law,” Menin condemned the protest as “not acceptable,” stressing that worshippers must be able to enter and exit their synagogue freely.

Even so, Menin says she is willing to work with the incoming Muslim mayor.

“With this broad five-borough coalition, we stand ready to partner with mayor-elect Mamdani’s administration,” she stated.

“We will deliver on a shared agenda that makes New York more affordable through universal childcare, lowers rent and healthcare costs, and ensures that families across the city can do more than just get by.”

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