MAYOR MAMDANI ANNOUNCES NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF MAYOR’S OFFICE TO COMBAT ANTISEMITISM

 

At a time of rising antisemitism, Mamdani appoints Phylisa Wisdom to lead citywide efforts to confront hate and protect Jewish New Yorkers.    

TODAY, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani announced the appointment of Phylisa Wisdom as executive director of the Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism, advancing the administration’s commitment to confronting antisemitism and all forms of hate across New York City.  

  

“I am thrilled to welcome Phylisa Wisdom as executive director of the Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism,” Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani said. “Phylisa is a respected leader and powerful voice in the fight against antisemitism in New York City, Albany and across the country. Day in and day out, across all five boroughs, we will work together to root out antisemitism and build a New York City where Jewish New Yorkers are safe, respected, and free.”

  

“I am honored and humbled to take on this role in Mayor Mamdani’s administration at a truly pivotal moment for the Jewish community,” said Phylisa Wisdom, incoming Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism. “New York City has long been a beacon of hope for the Jewish community. We will continue to ensure that Jewish safety and belonging remains at the core of this administration’s vision for a more livable city. In a time of rising hatred and fear, I look forward to embracing this solemn responsibility—both to represent the diverse array of Jewish voices to City Hall in this critical moment, and to demonstrate the power of pluralistic democracy in the greatest city in the world.” 

   

Wisdom most recently served as the executive director of the New York Jewish Agenda, where she led advocacy efforts to advance the values of Jewish New Yorkers in state and local policy, politics, and public discourse. In that role, she successfully advocated for legislation in Albany to combat antisemitism and other forms of hate and testified before the New York City Council in support of increased funding for hate crime prevention. She has also worked in advocacy through the Union for Reform Judaism’s Religious Action Center. 

  

Her leadership in New York’s civic and political landscape includes service as a staff member, board member, and adviser, as well as volunteer work on local and national political campaigns. She is a former elected member of the Brooklyn Democratic County Committee.  

 

Wisdom brings extensive experience in education policy and advocacy, including work on educational equity, literacy intervention in public elementary schools, addressing COVID-era learning loss, and advancing educational equity for students in nonpublic schools. 

  

Wisdom began her career as an educator, working with students with special educational needs, and helped establish educational intervention centers in Melbourne, Australia, and Tokyo, Japan. She later worked in public affairs at the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services, supporting youth anti-violence initiatives and efforts to improve LGBTQ+ public health outcomes. Wisdom attended California State University and King’s College London, where she earned a master’s degree in public policy.