New York Daily News | Opinion: Don’t Ban Masks for ‘Jewish Safety’

Originally published in print and online in the New York Daily News opinion section on April 9th, 2025. Read in full here.

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.