Rabbi Lieberman on relations between New York and Jerusalem — Jerusalem Post
In Jerusalem, Israel, Rabbi and physician Jonathan Lieberman, in an opinion column for the Jerusalem Post, described visiting a memorial to the victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks and shared his reflections on the political relationship between New York and Jerusalem. The author visited the 9/11 Living Memorial Plaza on the way to the Western Wall during the community’s annual trip for selichot.
At the center of the memorial stands a monument shaped like an American flag turning into a flame. A metal fragment from the ruins of the Twin Towers is embedded in its base, while the names of nearly 3,000 people killed on September 11, 2001, are engraved around it. Lieberman drew attention to an inscription describing this fragment as a manifestation of the special relationship between New York and Jerusalem.
Assessment of political changes
The author linked his reflections to the election of Zohran Mamdani as mayor of New York. According to Lieberman, Mamdani accused Israel of genocide, did not affirm the country’s right to exist specifically as a Jewish state, did not attend the city’s parade in support of Israel, and stated that Israel’s prime minister was not a welcome guest in the city.
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Lieberman considers this a departure from New York’s previous political consensus, where, he writes, support for Israel had for decades been part of the city’s civic life. At the same time, the author emphasized that the mayor’s position should not be equated with all of New York: in his assessment, the city retains a large Jewish community as well as non-Jewish supporters of Israel.
Selichot at the Western Wall
After the memorial, the group continued to Jerusalem’s Old City. The rabbi described crowds at Hurva Square and on the streets leading to the Western Wall: young people, families, yeshiva students, visitors from abroad, and soldiers. According to him, people prayed, sang, talked, and made their way to selichot.
In his column, Lieberman contrasted this atmosphere with his assessment of political cooling in relations between New York and Jerusalem. He expressed hope that friendly ties between the two cities would eventually be restored.
