Chair Salaam questions MOCA on staffing and community outreach efforts
Chair Salaam asks about MOCA staffing and expansion plans. Wisdom reports two current staff growing to three or four, a 300-400% expansion. On outreach, she describes the ongoing listening tour across five boroughs and interfaith cooperation as central to the Mamdani administration's approach.
How many people are currently on staff at the mayor's office to combat anti-Semitism?
Currently, there are two staff members, and we, depending on the outcomes of the executive budget, will grow to three or four.
Given that religion-based hate crimes generally and anti-Semitic hate crimes specifically are consistently among the most reported hate crimes, are there currently any plans to expand MOCA?
MOCA is experiencing expansion of 300% to 400% from the previous administration.
So, yes, we are expanding.
And we've heard from some of our constituents.
Okay, gotcha.
Could you tell us about MOCA's outreach and community engagement efforts?
What does MOCA on the ground work look like?
And do you partner with any community-based organizations, and are there any efforts being made towards interfaith cooperation and engagement?
Thank you for the question.
So to the last part, yes, there are interfaith.
We believe strongly in the Mumdani administration that combating hate is a group project.
And while each form of hate, Islamophobia, homophobia, anti-Semitism is unique, that we are all impacted by hate in our city and need to be thinking about combating hate across all identities.
In terms of community organizations, as you heard in my testimony, this office is really very new.
So in terms of the norms of our day-to-day work, we're building those right now.
And the first...
Order of Business is a listening tour where we're talking with Jewish New Yorkers and people who work in the space to combat anti-Semitism across
the religious and political spectrum, across all five boroughs, to understand the work that they do, what the people that they serve are experiencing, and then we'll make a first round of recommendations in our report coming out at the end of the summer, and we'll continue to iterate on that report year upon year.