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3h ago

Cuomo Apologizes to Jewish New Yorkers for COVID Restrictions on Eve of Yom Kippur

The mea culpa targets Orthodox voters during his underdog independent mayoral campaign.

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FILE - New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo attends a ceremony at the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, Aug. 3, 2020 at the World Trade Center in New York. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)
FILE - A man holds a sign as he joins protesters outside the offices of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Oct. 15, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens, File)
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Overview

  • Released hours before Yom Kippur, the video features Andrew Cuomo saying he acted to protect health during a pandemic that killed about 80,000 New Yorkers and acknowledging, “We could have done better.”
  • Campaign sources said the clip was shared with Orthodox rabbis, with the outreach first reported by the Jewish Forward.
  • The policies limited synagogue attendance, banned large gatherings and closed schools, drawing backlash in ultra-Orthodox areas of Brooklyn and Queens.
  • The message contrasts with his October 2020 stance when he declined to apologize for the restrictions.
  • The apology arrives during his underdog independent mayoral bid, with Zohran Mamdani leading in polls, Republican Curtis Sliwa on the ballot, and Mayor Eric Adams not seeking re-election.