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Meet the 83-year-old Jewish activist who stars in Zohran Mamdani’s campaign ads

JL;DR SUMMARY Rosalind Petchesky, an 83-year-old Jewish activist from the Upper West Side, has become a key figure in Zohran Mamdani's political campaign, appearing in his announcement videos and sharing in his progressive, anti-Zionist platform. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

Jewish CommunityIsrael Palestine ConflictJewish Voice For PeaceActivismAnti ZionismPublic TransportationZohran MamdaniNew York PoliticsRosalind Petchesky

Places mentioned

Upper West Side, New York, United States
"When Zohran Mamdanis first TV ad of the general election went live last week, the first person viewers saw was an 83-year-old Jewish woman from the Upper West Side."
Queens, New York, United States
"crucial to vaulting him from a local politician in Queens to the frontrunner for mayor."
Albany, New York, United States
"she first met Mamdani in May 2023 when she and other JVP members travelled to the state legislature in Albany to lobby for his Not On Our Dime Act."
Kibbutz Beeri, Southern District, Israel
"She also spoke about Canadian-Israeli peace activist Vivian Silver, who was killed on Oct. 7, 2023 when Hamas attacked and killed over 100 people at her home community, Kibbutz Beeri."
Astoria, New York, United States
"We want you to come to Astoria and be in this video, Petchesky recalled."
Tulsa, New York, United States
"During the podcast with Mamdani, Petchesky spoke about her experience growing up in an observant Jewish family in Tulsa, Oklahoma, before recoiling from Judaism after witnessing racism during a 1959 trip to Israel."
Bnai Jeshurun, New York, United States
"After decades of being disconnected from Judaism, Petchesky said she accompanied a grieving friend to a service at Bnai Jeshurun, a non-denominational synagogue on the Upper West Side."

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Cairo Item ID 63790
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Retrieved 2025-10-14 18:00:23 UTC
Curated 2025-10-14 19:01:11 UTC