Behind closed doors, New York lawmakers are advancing a dangerous statewide mask ban. Gov. Hochul first proposed it in June 2024, framing it as a measure for “Jewish safety.” But using Jews to justify stripping civil rights doesn’t make us safe — it makes us a scapegoat.
In response, a few of us medically high-risk Jewish New Yorkers launched Jews for Mask Rights. Our open letter — signed by 2,500 Jews, including more than 315 Jewish leaders and 80 clergy — makes it clear: banning masks won’t make us safer. It turns Jews into justification for policies that put us and others in danger.
In January, we joined the NYCLU and New York Doctors Coalition to deliver letters signed by more than 100 organizations and 250 health care professionals. Now, Hochul is forcing a ban through the budget, bypassing public scrutiny and accountability.
In Jewish tradition, pikuach nefesh — the obligation to preserve life — overrides nearly all else. Criminalizing masks violates both public health and our core religious values. A ban targets a few bad actors at the expense of thousands who mask for legitimate, often life-saving reasons. Whether a law bans masks or “masked harassment,” the result is the same: it makes it more dangerous to mask.
Ban supporters invoke the KKK as the rationale. But history tells a different story. Anti-mask laws didn’t weaken the Klan — public backlash did, decades before the law was ever used against them. Banning masks in our name doesn’t protect anyone, but it risks fueling antisemitic tropes of Jewish control; when arrests are made, Jews would likely be blamed.
Police have a long history of selective enforcement, even using these laws to target hate groups’ counter-protesters. According to the NYPD, Black and Latino New Yorkers received 81% of social distancing summonses. This kind of bias endangers those most vulnerable to both overpolicing and complications from illness. Rather than protecting Jews and minorities, a mask ban could become a stop-and-frisk 2.0.
The budget proposal forces police to guess motives in high-pressure situations. The Assembly version defines “masked harassment” as when someone fears for their safety, turning emotion into a basis for charges. Our concerns aren’t theoretical — on April 3, our group received an email saying, “If you’re young, able-bodied, and masked near me, I’ll assume hostile intent.” Others are likely to assume the same.
Intent can’t be judged on the spot.
If officers don’t believe you, exemptions offer no protection. High-risk people could face arrest before they can explain themselves, exposing them to illness, legal trouble, or even deportation. And because more than 80% of disabilities are invisible, most aren’t likely to be believed.
The sponsor of the Senate bill, Sen. James Skoufis, claimed these laws haven’t been abused, but history shows otherwise. Mask bans have long targeted marginalized groups and suppressed protest, targeting activists, BIPOC, and LGBTQ people.
Anti-mask laws worsen the stigma mask-wearers already face. In August, Nassau County’s mask ban quickly fueled rhetoric encouraging surveillance and hostility. Days before Hochul first spoke of a ban, North Carolina passed a similar law. Shortly after, a man spat on a cancer patient and said he hoped her cancer would kill her. That’s why our group began tracking anti-mask incident reports. Of the 80 incidents submitted, 40% involved physical assault, stalking, or endangerment. Some even targeted children.
We cannot further stigmatize masks while COVID-19, measles, H5N1, and other viruses remain threats. We deserve to protect ourselves, especially as the Trump administration undermines public health. Exemptions mean nothing if police can override them in the moment. No one should risk arrest for protecting their health.
Any anti-mask law is flawed legislation. It burdens New Yorkers who mask for legitimate reasons. It deepens inequality, invites profiling, and chips away at civil rights when they are needed most. Framing this ban as a measure for “Jewish safety” is dishonest and dangerous. As Jews who mask to stay alive, stay safe, and protect others, we reject any policy that criminalizes our survival.
Lawmakers must reject this provision in the final budget. Jewish safety doesn’t come from more policing. It comes from solidarity, education, and upholding values that protect everyone. Antisemitism is real, but superficial measures can’t address the complexities of hate.
In a moment of rising authoritarianism, it’s alarming to see Democrats championing policies that restrict basic freedoms. If the laws coming out of this moment put more people at risk, they violate our deepest values — as New Yorkers and as Jews.
Goldberg is a co-founder of Jews for Mask Rights.
