Ahead of NYC mayoral election, antisemitism surges: ‘It’s unprecedented’

Less than two weeks before New York City’s mayoral election, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) issued a grim update Wednesday on the state of antisemitism across the city. The report revealed that in 2025 alone, hundreds of incidents of harassment, vandalism, and physical violence against members of the Jewish community have already taken place — a continuation of record-high levels reported last year.

The ADL’s Center on Extremism warned that antisemitic activity is not only rising in frequency but spreading across all five boroughs of the city.

Pro-Palestinians protest in New York

(Photo: Michael M. Santiago / Getty Images / AFP)

“The scope of antisemitic activity in New York this year is deeply concerning,” said Scott Richman, ADL’s New York and New Jersey regional director. “From violent attacks on people visibly identifiable as Jewish to threats against synagogues and dehumanizing rhetoric on campuses — antisemitism is no longer hiding. It’s out in the open, and it’s making Jews in New York feel unsafe in one of the world’s most significant centers of Jewish life.”

While final data for 2025 will be included in the ADL’s annual report next spring, preliminary figures indicate that the alarming trends from 2024 are continuing. Last year, New York led the nation with 976 antisemitic incidents, the highest number recorded in any U.S. state.

“What we are seeing in New York is simply shocking,” said ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt. “Right now, the Jewish community needs every elected official to stand up and speak out. On the eve of a key mayoral debate, it’s critical that every candidate explain exactly how they plan to ensure the safety of New York’s Jews during this unprecedented period.”

Antisemitism across every borough

According to the ADL’s 2025 data, antisemitic incidents have been reported in every borough — Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island. The trend of attacks against Jewish institutions continues as well: in 2024, there were 157 incidents targeting synagogues, community centers, and other Jewish sites, and this year’s numbers are expected to be comparable.

Recent threats included a man who claimed to be “the reincarnation of Adolf Hitler” and another who planned a “massacre” at a religious center in Brooklyn.

Orthodox Jews have been disproportionately targeted. Although they make up only about 20% of New York’s Jewish population, more than half of last year’s physical attacks were directed at visibly Orthodox individuals. In February 2025, three separate assaults occurred within 48 hours, and in June, a Shabbat observer was beaten unconscious while his attacker shouted about Gaza.

The rise of anti-Zionist extremism

The ADL noted a sharp increase in antisemitic incidents linked to anti-Israel sentiment. In 2022, only 5% of antisemitic cases were related to Israel; by 2024, that number had jumped to 58%, a pattern continuing into 2025. Demonstrations across the city have featured chants such as “Burn Tel Aviv to the ground,” praise for terrorists, and banners calling to “globalize the intifada.”

College campuses have become flashpoints: 191 antisemitic incidents were recorded at New York institutions in 2024, including 53 at Columbia University — the highest number at any university in the country. So far in 2025, reports include fliers urging students to “crush Zionism” and vandalism of Jewish prayer spaces.

The ADL urged moderators at Wednesday night’s mayoral debate to press candidates on how they plan to confront the wave of antisemitism. The organization is calling on all contenders to outline specific strategies to protect Jewish communities and reassure residents who feel increasingly vulnerable.

One prominent candidate, Zohran Mamdani, has drawn criticism for his outspoken anti-Israel stance and for refusing to affirm Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state.

“The Jewish community in New York is afraid — and for good reason,” Greenblatt said. “We need leaders who will treat this as the crisis it is, not a political afterthought.”