The New York Times opens up an article on the city’s mayoral race by asking, “Where are the Jews?”
“As mayoral election season starts to heat up in a city that has started memorable Jewish political careers like Edward I. Koch’s and Bella S. Abzug’s, one thing seems to be missing: a major Jewish candidate,” writes the Times.
“In the world of politics, the idea of a New York City mayor’s race without a serious Jewish entrant is hard to fathom. It would be ‘like the Upper West Side without Zabar’s,’ said Robert Shrum, a longtime Democratic political strategist, or ‘a rye bread without seeds,’ said Hank Sheinkopf, a Democratic political consultant. …
“Though the field is still in flux, 2013 is poised to be the first time in more than a half-century that two successive Democratic mayoral candidates may be nominated without a Jewish challenger in contention. It would also be even longer since the field in a mayoral race without an incumbent lacked a major Jewish candidate.”
