Separate photos circulating online also appear to show “Heil Hitler” graffiti sprayed on the nearby Rego Park Jewish Center. -Credit:SpeakerMenin/X
(SpeakerMenin/X)
Police have arrested one of the four individuals they say are responsible for painting swastikas and Nazi phrases on a synagogue and some private homes in Queens overnight.
Worshippers in Rego Park, Queens, were greeted this morning with swastikas and “heil Hitler” graffiti splashed across synagogues and private homes in a vile antisemitic attack, ahead of a Jewish holiday known as Lag BaOmer.
Shmira, a neighborhood watch group, said “multiple swastikas” were left on Jewish targets overnight, including a private home’s garage and the Congregation Machane Chodosh synagogue. One of the places hit by swastika graffiti was on a cornerstone of the building that is dedicated to survivors of Kristallnacht – the 1938 Nazi pogrom against German Jews that is regarded by some as the beginning of the Holocaust.
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Separate photos circulating online also appear to show “Heil Hitler” graffiti sprayed on the nearby Rego Park Jewish Center. “Multiple locations had been spray-painted with black and red paint with swastikas,” an NYPD spokesperson confirmed.
Unconfirmed reports say that “a suspect was arrested on Bay Parkway and McDonald Avenue by the NYPD after he attempted to assault a couple with a hammer on Avenue M and McDonald Avenue.”
Shmira, a neighborhood watch group, said “multiple swastikas” were left on Jewish targets -Credit:SpeakerMenin/X
The Mirror US has reached out to the NYPD to confirm.
Mark Treyger, CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, noted that “these were not just synagogues, homes and Jewish centers. One of the sites houses a pre-K program, where young children, their families and staff were greeted with swastikas and other hateful vandalism. This is not normal, and we need city leaders to act now,” he wrote.
Phil Wong, representative of the 30th Council District, wrote, “I’ve seen the images of the hate crime outside the Rego Park Jewish Center and it’s absolutely unacceptable. There is no place for this kind of hatred in our community. I’m in contact with them and expect accountability.”
New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin also visited the area, writing on X that “When rabbis and congregants arrived to pray this morning, they expected to be met with their usual loving community. When a family woke up, they were prepared to begin an otherwise normal week.”
Police say one person was arrested -Credit:SpeakerMenin/X
“Instead, they were met with terrifying signals of hatred and threats of violence. We have visited some of these locations and are in contact with the NYPD, which is investigating and searching for at least four individuals responsible for the terrible incidents.”
“The graffiti will be removed once the investigation is complete. With antisemitism on the rise here and across the globe, we will always stand up for our Jewish community and fight back against hate.”
The NYPD recorded 31 antisemitic hate crimes in January 2026, compared to 11 in January 2025, an increase of 182%. Following a record-setting 2024 (9,354 incidents, the highest since 1979), 2025 data and early 2026 projections show the trend continuing, with a 32.5% surge in incidents in March 2026, according to ARC Monthly Reports.
New York City Mayor Mamdani chimed in on the graffiti, writing, “I am horrified and angered by the swastikas painted on homes and a synagogue in Forest Hills, including on a plaque honoring survivors of Kristallnacht,” on X.
He added, “This is not just vandalism — it is a deliberate act of antisemitic hatred meant to instill fear. There is no place for antisemitism in Queens or anywhere in our city. I stand in solidarity with our Jewish neighbors. Their safety, dignity, and belonging are non-negotiable. The NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating and I am confident those responsible will be held accountable.”