WATCH: What do New Yorkers think about the Nadler/Maloney primary faceoff?
Our intrepid reporters paid a visit to Zabar’s and Eli’s Market to find out what residents think about the race for the new 12th District

Joan Roth, a former photographer for the Forward and longtime Upper East Side resident speaks about redistricting in NY-12. Photo by Matt Litman
For the last 30 years, New York Reps. Jerry Nadler and Carolyn Maloney have been Congressional stalwarts. They are among the most senior Democrats in the House and carry a great deal of influence, with Nadler chairing the powerful House Judiciary Committee, and Maloney the House Committee on Oversight and Reform. Currently, Nadler is New York’s only Jewish representative, a title he may not hold for long.
After recent congressional redistricting, Nadler and Maloney now find themselves running against each other — and against newcomer Suraj Patel — for the same seat, representing the newly reshaped NY-12, in a primary race that is pitting two respected colleagues against one another.
Where better to gauge how Jews are feeling than Zabar’s, the storied appetizing store and cultural institution founded by Jewish immigrants in 1934, and its branch on the Upper East Side, Eli’s Market?
On two recent afternoons, we asked their new constituents how they feel about the districts being combined, the possibility of losing a Jewish representative of New York City, and what issues are important to them as they make their way to the polls on Aug. 23.
On Aug. 10, join us for the NY-12 Candidate Forum at Temple Emanu-El and online, presented by the Forward, New York Jewish Agenda, Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan and Temple Emanu-El. Sign up here to attend or watch ➤
The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.
Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.
At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.
This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a gift today!
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Most Popular
- 1
Opinion The dangerous Nazi legend behind Trump’s ruthless grab for power
- 2
Opinion I first met Netanyahu in 1988. Here’s how he became the most destructive leader in Israel’s history.
- 3
Opinion Yes, the attack on Gov. Shapiro was antisemitic. Here’s what the left should learn from it
- 4
News Who is Alan Garber, the Jewish Harvard president who stood up to Trump over antisemitism?
In Case You Missed It
-
Fast Forward Barnard staff receive texts asking if they’re Jewish, as part of government hunt for antisemitic harassment on campus
-
Opinion A Palestinian leader just gave Trump an unprecedented opening to pursue peace
-
Fast Forward NIH bans grants for schools that boycott Israeli companies
-
Fast Forward An elite Jewish society at Yale fractures over its director’s embrace of Itamar Ben-Gvir
-
Shop the Forward Store
100% of profits support our journalism
Republish This Story
Please read before republishing
We’re happy to make this story available to republish for free, unless it originated with JTA, Haaretz or another publication (as indicated on the article) and as long as you follow our guidelines.
You must comply with the following:
- Credit the Forward
- Retain our pixel
- Preserve our canonical link in Google search
- Add a noindex tag in Google search
See our full guidelines for more information, and this guide for detail about canonical URLs.
To republish, copy the HTML by clicking on the yellow button to the right; it includes our tracking pixel, all paragraph styles and hyperlinks, the author byline and credit to the Forward. It does not include images; to avoid copyright violations, you must add them manually, following our guidelines. Please email us at [email protected], subject line “republish,” with any questions or to let us know what stories you’re picking up.