GUN RUSH: Jewish New Yorkers Arm Themselves Amid Fears Over Mamdani’s Incoming Administration
Anxiety is rippling through New York’s Jewish community as many residents rush to purchase firearms and undergo training ahead of Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s inauguration, Arutz Sheva reports. With growing fears of weakened police presence and a potential rise in antisemitic incidents, gun ownership among Orthodox Jews has surged to levels unseen in decades.
In Marine Park, Brooklyn, 30-year-old Michael Bergida has become an unexpected symbol of this trend. The Orthodox businessman recently launched Samson Armory—Brooklyn’s first new gun store in over fifty years—and says the timing has brought a wave of customers from across the Jewish community. “We’re probably the only gun store to have a minyan,” Bergida quipped to the New York Post, describing prayer gatherings inside his shop. According to him, the election has spurred panic. “People are freaking out over Mamdani – anyone who has Judeo-Christian values,” he said, adding that “chaos” and NYPD understaffing are among his clients’ biggest concerns.
Bergida, who is certified by the NRA, has also begun coordinating with local synagogues on safety measures and emergency preparedness. “It’s like doomsday prepping – people are loading up ammo,” he said. “We’re here to stay. We’re not victims anymore.”
That same sense of unease is evident across other gun training centers. Veteran instructor Lance Dashefsky said requests for concealed-carry classes spiked immediately after Mamdani won the Democratic primary. “I always ask people why they want a gun,” Dashefsky said. “And now the answer is Mamdani.” NYPD statistics confirm the rise: concealed-carry permit applications jumped from 620 in June to 706 by August. The process, which requires an 18-hour state course, can take up to a year in New York City.
Ross Den, another firearms trainer in Brooklyn, said many previously hesitant Jews are now applying for permits. “There are plenty of Rabbis who carry – synagogues are where the greatest threat is,” he explained, noting that armed volunteers designated by the congregation are legally allowed to carry during services.
Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist and former state assemblymember, has long courted controversy for positions seen as hostile by parts of the Jewish community. His past support for the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement, along with comparisons between NYPD policing and Israeli military actions, has sparked fierce backlash. Mamdani has defended his stance, saying it stems from “concerns about human rights and policing.”
Election data reveals the extent of Jewish opposition to Mamdani: heavily frum neighborhoods such as Borough Park and Crown Heights voted overwhelmingly against him, favoring former Gov. Andrew Cuomo instead. The distrust runs deep—particularly among Israeli-born New Yorkers who say they no longer feel confident relying solely on law enforcement.
“We are Jewish and we will protect ourselves – even if the mayor despises us,” said one Israeli-American mother of four who applied for a firearm license the day after the election. “We want a say in our own protection and not have to rely on others.”
{Matzav.com}