The recent appointment by the Mamdani administration for the head of the office dedicated to combating Jewish hate has stirred controversy. Phylisa Wisdom, chosen to lead Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s Office to Combat Antisemitism, was unable to define “antisemitism” during a contentious City Council meeting on Wednesday. This inability prompted a council member to leave the meeting in frustration.
Wisdom, selected just last month, stated that the term “antisemitism” would be handled on a “case-by-case” basis, acknowledging her difficulty in providing a direct definition. “The first thing I’ll say is that across city government, there is not a definition codified for any form of hate at all,” she remarked during the City Council’s Task Force to Combat Antisemitism meeting. Her comments came in response to questioning by Councilwoman Inna Vernikov, who sought clarity on the matter.
The confrontation takes place in the wake of Mayor Mamdani’s decision to annul the city’s official definition of “antisemitism” on his inaugural day in office. The previous definition was endorsed by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. Mamdani, known for his critical stance on Israel, argued that the definition unacceptably conflated antisemitism with criticism of Israel, which he has described as an “apartheid state.”
“So the way that we combat hate, and that our colleagues at NYPD address these incidents is without a codified definition,â she said, when pressed on the issue by Councilwoman Inna Vernikov (R) on the issue.
The standoff comes after Mamdani, a fierce Israel critic, signed an executive order on his first day in office dropping the Big Apple’s official definition of “antisemitism,” which was backed by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance.
The democratic socialist mayor said he opposed the definition because it conflated criticism of Israel — which he has previously bashed as an “apartheid state” — with antisemitism.
The IHRA definition was adopted in June 2025 in the twilight of the Adams administration, in what he said was part of a push against anti-Jewish hate.
Wisdom told lawmakers at the hearing that antisemitism was prejudice, violence and discrimination against Jews because they are Jewish. She added that it’s understood âbroadly in the universe of civil rights.â
Wisdom doubled down on not using a definition, even when pressed further on the question.
âThe policy of this administration is that we will not â we will continue to not have any codified definition of any form of hate,â she said.
Jewish Brooklyn Councilman Simcha Felder became increasingly frustrated during the hearing with Wisdomâs mealy-mouthed responses and stormed out of the meeting.
âThis is outrageous! Nuts! Crazy!” Felder told The Post after exiting the hearing.
“We have two kids [in the mayor’s office]Â deciding on a case-by-case basis on what constitutes antisemitism and hate. I have never seen an administration that can’t determine what is hate or antisemitism.”
Other witnesses were flabbergasted.
âThe Mayorâs Office to Combat Antisemitism is a token gesture to the Jewish community with zero action,” said Moshe Spern, the president of United Jewish Teachers. “I sat there and heard that there is no way to contact Ms. Wisdom and that they refuse to adopt a definition of antisemitism.”
Mamdani’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
