Julie Menin elected as first Jewish speaker of New York City Council
The New York City Council made history on Wednesday by electing Julie Menin as its first Jewish speaker.
Menin said it's an opportunity to bridge the divides that have been so prevalent of late in the city.
"An opportunity for all of us to come together"
Menin, the daughter and granddaughter of Holocaust survivors, got a standing ovation after she was unanimously chosen as the next speaker, a move she described as historic because the city now has a Muslim mayor in Zohran Mamdani and a Jewish woman leading the council.
"This moment is truly historic, but what will write this interfaith leadership into the history books is if it can act as an opportunity for all of us to come together, to calm tensions, to bridge divides, and to recognize we are one city, no matter the religion we practice or the language we speak," Menin said.
A three-time city commissioner and member of the City Council since 2022, Menin talked about working with Mamdani on things like universal child care, eliminating waste to make government more efficient, and legislation to establish safe perimeters around houses of worship in case there are protesters.
"New York has a long history of turning moments of challenge into moments of opportunity. Together, we will forge a new City Council that takes a more forceful and proactive approach to New York's shared goals," Menin said in an earlier statement.
What will happen when Menin and Mayor Mamdani disagree?
Menin talked the talk of collegiality, something that was missing in the relationship between former Mayor Eric Adams and Speaker Adrienne Adams.
But to some on the council, the question is what the chamber will do when it doesn't agree with Mayor Mamdani.
Staten Island Councilman Frank Moreno, a Republican, pointed out that 49% of the voters didn't support Mamdani. He said their voices need to be heard as well.
"My expectation [is] that we can work with the administration whenever we can, but to be a check on the administration when it goes too far," Moreno said.
At a news conference later Wednesday, CBS News New York's Marcia Kramer asked Menin what she anticipates the dynamic to be like when she and Mamdani aren't on the same page.
"There obviously will be areas, as there always are with any administration and City Council, where there are areas of disagreement. What I think marked the last four years was, unfortunately, a real tit-for-tat that didn't enter to the benefit of New Yorkers," Menin said.