Antisemitic Incidents Rise in NYC Schools, Report Finds

Antisemitic incidents and hostility toward Israel have surged within New York City's public school system, according to a new report by the Jewish educators' organization United Jewish Teachers. The report meticulously documents 250 such incidents occurring between the October 7, 2023, attack and the end of July 2026.

The findings reveal a disturbing pattern: 64.8% of these incidents involved direct actions targeting individuals or property, encompassing verbal harassment, threats, physical assaults, vandalism, and the display of hate symbols like swastikas. Furthermore, 23.2% of the reported issues involved alleged bias in educational materials and classroom instruction concerning Israel and the Middle East. Another 9.6% were linked to protests, school walkouts, and the exclusion of students from school events, while the remaining 2.4% involved statements made by staff members or online posts.

Geographically, Brooklyn registered the highest number of incidents with 91 cases, representing 36.8% of the total. Queens followed with 68 cases, Manhattan with 62, the Bronx with 22, and Staten Island with seven. The report has been formally submitted to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels.

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The data reveal an ongoing pattern of hostility toward Jewish students, teachers, and staff members. These incidents created a hostile learning and working environment throughout the system.

Examples cited in the report include a student at Townsend Harris High School facing harassment for expressing a desire to enlist in the IDF after graduation. Another instance involved a poster at Flushing High School displaying a Nazi symbol alongside accusations of Israeli apartheid, and a swastika was found carved into a board at Brooklyn Technical High School. The report's authors stated that verbal harassment included antisemitic stereotypes, Holocaust references, and calls for the elimination of Jewish Israelis. They also noted instances where Jewish students faced restrictions on religious accommodations and participation in school activities.

"The data reveal an ongoing pattern of hostility toward Jewish students, teachers, and staff members," the report asserts. "These incidents created a hostile learning and working environment throughout the system." The report further claims that school administrations and district officials frequently failed to take effective action, allowing these hostile conditions to persist. United Jewish Teachers President Moshe Spern emphasized the urgency of the report's release before the school year begins, aiming to pressure authorities into action. "The data make clear that the current policy has failed," he stated. "Jewish students and educators cannot afford another year like this."

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The data make clear that the current policy has failed. Jewish students and educators cannot afford another year like this.