Press Room

"Like many in our city, I mark two holidays today, each truthfully deserving of their own day for commemoration – Indigenous Peoples’ Day and Italian Heritage Day. I choose to celebrate these communities and histories, rather than Christopher Columbus. For countless indigenous and historically oppressed people, to glorify Columbus is to celebrate the devastation he helped to initiate, and to misrepresent his deeds and purported accomplishments. 

"On Indigenous Peoples’ Day, we have the obligation to acknowledge the historical and ongoing harm of oppression against Indigenous communities in our country. At the same time, we uplift and honor the rich and resonant traditions and heritage of Indigenous people nationwide. We can neither diminish the tragedy nor allow Indigenous culture to be defined by it alone. Somber reflection and celebration are each possible and essential.

"And in celebrating Italian-American heritage, we recognize the contributions of both individuals of Italian descent and the broader community, the role of this vibrant culture in shaping the city and nation.

"What unites these holidays is the opportunity for dialogue and collaboration as we stand together to elevate the best of our shared culture and values, while standing opposed to the injustices in our history and today."

“This evening begins the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, Yom Kippur. I wish an easy and meaningful fast to everyone preparing to mark the Day of Atonement.”

“On Yom Kippur, we are called to take up two great challenges – to ask forgiveness for ourselves, and to grant it to others. Showing empathy and compassion are signs of strength, not weakness, and recognizing the humanity in ourselves and others is critical to healing. In moments of great sorrow and strife, we must seek understanding, reconciliation, and redemption.

“By extending grace, tolerance, and mercy, we draw closer to our fellow man and to G-d. May G-d bestow blessings and absolution on us all, and may we all be sealed in the Book of Life. G'mar Chatima Tova.”

"The alleged ‘deadlocking’ of mentally ill individuals on Rikers Island, if true, is inhumane and indefensible. Rikers has been called the largest mental health facility in the country, but at least at mental health facilities, treatment is provided to people who are suffering. Not only is the city failing to provide mental health support on Rikers, these and other alleged DOC practices are actively harming the mental health of vulnerable incarcerated New Yorkers. This violates not only the Board of Correction minimum standards, but the minimum morals to which we should hold our city. 

"These reports are disturbing, alarming, but not surprising from an administration that has actively refused to even attempt to implement the law banning the prolonged isolation of solitary confinement in city jails. Combined with these latest allegations, it appears the administration believes isolation is an acceptable tool, despite the irreversible damage it causes and irrefutable data showing that harm. No matter what name it goes by– “deadlocking,” shower cages, or emergency lock-ins, we are left with the same results.

"If there is an explanation for these reported practices and incidents, a plan to correct them, then the city needs to be clear about its inability to provide adequate care and commit to its moral and legal mandates. They cannot simply hope Rikers stays out of sight, out of mind, and out of the headlines. "

"Last year, Hamas’ horrific and unconscionable terrorist attack against Israelis took the lives of over a thousand people and saw hundreds kidnapped. This tragic day is forever in our history. I pray for the families of all who were killed, and those whose loved ones are still held captive. I cannot imagine the horror they feel, but I am sure the emotions are as strong and painful today as they were a year ago. I pray, together with the prayers of so many worldwide, for comfort and the return of loved ones.

"The grief, fear, and anger in the wake of that horrific attack extended to our city. A cloud of brazen, dangerous anti-Semitic hatred and violence has risen. At times, this cloud has obscured the ability to legitimately speak out against violence or in opposition to the actions and inactions of government. Nonviolent protest itself has been condemned and combated by some leaders who center the hatred of the few instead of the horror of the many. 

"Horror is what I feel in this moment – at the terrorism of October 7th, and at the horrendous campaign of violence in Palestine that has followed. That sense of horror compounds with a sense of helplessness that I know many feel along with me.   

"Neither the peace process nor our ability to address it in our city have meaningfully advanced over the past year. There has only been more suffering, more fear, more death and loss as conflicts only escalate. With it rise the fears of Jewish New Yorkers facing anti-Semitism and Muslim New Yorkers confronting Islamophobia. And as the death toll mounts, so too does the moral outrage so many of us feel regardless of faith, ethnicity, or nationality. 

"The pain of the attack of October 7th must be always remembered and never repeated – which means confronting the hate and violence underneath an endless and increasing war. The hostages must come home, a ceasefire must take hold, and we must begin the long and painful effort toward the human rights and safety of all being respected and upheld. We may not find the answer to decades of crisis in our city, but we have to find our common humanity."

"Shana Tovah U’Metukah! Happy New Year to Jewish communities who will begin celebrating Rosh Hashanah this evening.  "As the sound of the shofar echoes, it calls for each of us to practice reflection and repentance, preparing to be written in the Book of Life. As its call echoes, we have the opportunity to pronounce ‘HaShem,’ God, as our ‘Melech,’ King, and to advance on the path of self improvement. In practicing Teshuvah, we reckon with the past and ready ourselves for the future. 

"5784 was a year of great grief and great resilience – even in its last few days, fears have again escalated abroad and in our city. I pray that 5785 charts a path to peace, unity, and solidarity for our communities, city, and world. As anti-Semitic hatred and violence looms, this is a moment to recommit ourselves to solidarity and compassion. The challenges we face are an opportunity to stand together in common humanity and move forward in common good.

"Ah gut gebentsht yohr to everyone celebrating in the coming days."

“I feel the same disbelief and indignation that I know many New Yorkers feel, upset that this is where our city is in this moment. This is a painful time, and the looming unknowns and uncertainties only add to the confusion and chaos at City Hall in an untenable situation. Justice presumes innocence until proven guilty, at the same time, these charges are even more sweeping and severe than imagined. In the face of this evidence, it is not enough to deflect blame and deny responsibility.

“It is federal officials’ obligation to prove their case, it is the mayor’s obligation to prove to New Yorkers that there is a real plan and path to govern the city effectively and regain trust, and his time to show that plan is rapidly running out. 

“As the Public Advocate, my role is to fight for the transparency, accountability, and governance that New Yorkers deserve. In a moment of intense turmoil, I am committed to working with my fellow elected officials and the many thousands of incredibly dedicated public servants to ensure our city continues to operate in any eventuality.”