Rabbis slam Squad Rep. Jamaal Bowman for treating Jewish people as 'tokens'

Rep. Jamaal Bowman is under fire for a new report claiming he asked a Jewish leader to send him photos of them together to prove he has Jewish friends. 

A private text between Bowman and an unidentified Jewish leader from when Bowman first ran for re-election in 2022 was published by Jewish Insider on Tuesday. 

'Do you have pics of us?' So I can show the world I'm friends with Jewish People, Bowman wrote, according to the report. 

The leader did have a photo with Bowman, but did not share it with the congressman.  

Rep. Jamaal Bowman is under fire for a new report claiming he asked a Jewish leader to send him photos of them together to prove he has Jewish friends

'I was uncomfortable,' the Jewish leader said of the awkward message. 'I kind of joked around with him about it. I said, 'Oh, I'm sure you guys have it. Don't worry about it.' 

'I was like, 'I don't want to be his court Jew,' he said. 'That wasn't what I signed up for.'

Bowman is seeking a third term in a contentious primary against George Latimer and the full forces of AIPAC are coming out against him - their super PAC has invested $14 million in the race. 

The two will face off in a primary on June 25.  

'One hundred percent I believe that happened,' Rabbi Jonathan Morgenstern, head of Young Israel of Scarsdale, a modern orthodox synagogue, told the New York Post of the text. 

Bowman is seeking a third term in a contentious primary against George Latimer and the full forces of AIPAC are coming out against him - their super PAC has invested $14 million in the race

'Bowman tokenizes the Jewish people. Bowman went from bad to worse,' he added. 

Morgenstern said Bowman refuses meetings with Jewish leaders in the community. 

'We tried to meet with him. We made the appointment — and then he cancelled,' Morgenstern said. 

Rabbi Scott Weiner, leader of Tamid Westchester Synagogue in New Rochelle and a self-described 'progressive Jew' who used to support Bowman said the congressman lost his support since October 7. 

In a comment he's since walked back, Bowman said at the time that it was a 'lie' to say Hamas militants raped Israeli women.  

'He doesn't seem to care about Jews in the district — talking to them or working with them,' Weiner said.

Bowman, who is competing for his third term in Congress, is a progressive Democrat and member of the so-called 'Squad,' has long been critical of Israel - even moreso since the Hamas attack on October 7. 

His district has a large Jewish constituency. 

Bowman opposed funding for Israel and has deemed the nation's attacks in Gaza a 'genocide.' 

In a final debate with Latimer on Tuesday, Bowman, 48, who is black, went after Latimer for his close ties to AIPAC and claimed he slow-walked desegregation as Westchester County executive.

'He claims to be a Democrat, but he is supported by racist MAGA Republicans who support taking your voting rights — gutting your abortion rights,' Bowman said. 

'This is an example of using race as a weapon,' Latimer shot back. 'What we need to do is bring people together.'