What a fun conversation with Gili Getz and Tamar Glezerman today! We had a great crowd — thanks to all of you wonderful people who were able to join us live. There was so much to discuss, so fair warning: this podcast runs long, but it’s worth your time.
Here’s some of what we discussed:
What brought Tamar and Gili, both Israeli Americans who grew up in Israel and now live in NYC, to peace activism and how October 7th impacted them
NYC’s Israel Day Parade - Why Gili & Tamar feel it doesn’t represent them and why their organization Israelis for Peace protested it (along with Standing Together NYC)
Tamar is front and center, wearing the same FCK BNGVR shirt she wore for our podcast. Credit: Liri Agami, Haaretz Participation of Bezalel Smotrich and other members of the Netanyahu government that “belong in the Hague not in NYC,” per Tamar’s sign above — and how parade organizers and politician participants (e.g. Governor Kathy Hochul and Senator Chuck Schumer) responded to this
Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s non-participation, yet another Jewish communal meltdown, and why Mamdani made the right call by not attending
How Mayor Mamdani feels about Jews and Jewish safety — hear it from two Israeli New Yorkers who know him and have spent time with him at Jewish and Israeli events
Brad Lander vs. Representative Dan Goldman square off in the NY-10 primary: Gili and Tamar assessed what’s at stake and explain their choice as NY-10 voters
I had a great time speaking with these two wonderful Israeli American peace activists and hope you find the conversation worthwhile. I’ll share resources below and look forward to your comments!
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Resources for a Deeper Dive:
Links, articles/op-eds, and more Debrief podcasts on Zohran Mamdani and Brad Lander! Enjoy!
Gili Getz and Tamar Glezerman: They’re both amazing creative professionals, in addition to being activists! Please click to check out their websites and learn more about their work
Connect with Israelis for Peace: Check them out on Instagram and X/Twitter
Times of Israel on Gili Getz receiving T’ruah’s Raphael Lemkin Award: “Mamdani praises leftist Israelis peace activist at Jewish progressive group’s gala”
Rabbi Jill Jacobs op-ed in JTA: “New York needs a Jewish parade, not an Israel parade”
Michael Lange’s piece on NYC’s Congressional primaries: “The Dress Rehearsal for 2028: June 23rd is an early preview of the Presidential Primary”
My October 2025 piece (right before the NYC mayoral election):
The Jewish War Over Mamdani Is About Us, Not Him
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The level of acrimony among Jews over Zohran Mamdani has reached a fever pitch. Division in our community is not new, especially regarding Israel. But as New York is on the verge of electing its first Muslim mayor – a political phenom who is relentlessly focused on affordability, but also committed to universal human rights, including for Palestinians –…
Brad Lander’s first Debrief appearance, in October 2025 to discuss his cross-endorsement with Zohran Mamdani
Brad Lander’s second Debrief appearance, in February 2026 to discuss his congressional campaign in NY-10
Rabbi/Professor Shaul Magid joined The Debrief in October 2025 to discuss the Jewish schism emerging over Zohran Mamdani
Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum joined The Debrief in November 2025, the day after the mayoral election, to discuss why she endorsed Mamdani and how the Jewish community could move forward
Thanks for reading and watching! I’ll be in touch soon to let you know what’s up next on The Debrief.
Have a peaceful weekend.
Shabbat shalom,
Debra
