NYPD: anti-Jewish hate crimes rose 8% through August
The plan, being led by the mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism, emerged from conversations with Jewish New Yorkers across the political spectrum, according to city officials. Phylisa Wisdom, the office’s executive director, said in February that she planned to unveil a comprehensive strategy around the time of the Jewish high holidays.
Under the initiative, the city will provide $1 million to help smaller religious institutions improve security by installing locks, shatterproof glass and metal-detector wands. The city will also direct millions of dollars to complete a Holocaust memorial in Queens and a Jewish center in Brooklyn, and will use digital public kiosks to highlight Jewish New Yorkers’ contributions.
“Jewish New Yorkers have helped build this city, shaped its culture and strengthened our communities for generations, and they deserve to be safe, celebrated and protected by a city government that stands with them,” Mamdani said in announcing the plan.
A report accompanying Tuesday’s announcement said anti-Jewish hate crimes in New York City have risen notably since the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks in Israel. The 229 anti-Jewish hate crimes recorded from January through August accounted for more than half of all confirmed hate crimes in the city, despite Jewish New Yorkers making up roughly 10% of the city’s population, the NYPD said.
The strategy arrives against a backdrop of friction between the mayor and parts of the city’s Jewish community over his stance on Israel. Mamdani did not attend the Israel Day Parade in May, citing his support for Palestinians — a break from previous mayors. Last week, he called for Netanyahu’s arrest during the Israeli prime minister’s visit to the United Nations on an International Criminal Court warrant for alleged war crimes.
Some Jewish leaders said Mamdani’s rhetoric has made members of their community feel less safe and accused him of unnecessarily wading into international politics when his focus should be on the city.