New York saw a reported 1,160 antisemitic incidents in 2025, marking a significant 19% decline compared to the previous year, according to the Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) annual audit of the hateful activity released on Wednesday.
While it is difficult to pinpoint reasons for the decline, the trend occurred as several institutions and agencies in NYC — where most of the state’s antisemitic incidents occurred — launched programs aimed at stopping hate attacks. These initiatives include the city’s Office to Combat Antisemitism, launched in 2025 to address the rise in attacks against Jewish New Yorkers following the Oct. 7, 2023, terror attacks in Israel, which sparked the Israel-Hamas war.
According to the latest city statistics, reports of antisemitic incidents decreased in April compared to the same month in 2025. The NYPD recorded 30 hate crimes against Jewish people last month, marking a 30% drop from the 43 reported in April 2025.
Overall, the NYPD reported a 35% decrease in total hate crimes last month, with 50 incidents recorded compared to 77 in April 2025. Even so, the 30 hate crimes against Jewish people reported in April 2026 represented 60% of all hate crimes reported that month to police.
ADL reps said colleges across the country have also been receptive to the organization’s Campus Antisemitism Report Card, which recommends policies to reduce hate incidents. Additionally, the ADL said there was a nearly 50% drop in white supremacist propaganda distribution nationwide.
The recent decline in antisemitism locally and nationally, however, only reflects part of the story, according to the ADL. New York led the nation in overall antisemitic incidents for the year, and at 1,160 incidents, the total remains double the 2022 count.
‘Too many New Yorkers live in fear’
Moreover, physical assaults increased from 82 in 2024 to 90 in 2025, the highest number ever recorded, according to ADL research. New York accounted for 44% of all antisemitic assaults documented nationally. California and New Jersey took the ADL’s numbers two and three spots for leading in antisemitic incidents.
“While it is encouraging that reported antisemitic incidents in New York fell by nearly 20% in 2025, the 1,160 cases which we tracked and responded to remains double the number before the massive spike post October 7, and I know firsthand that too many New Yorkers lived in fear in 2025 of being the victim of antisemitism,” said Scott Richman, ADL New York/New Jersey regional director said.
The ADL’s report was released during a hotbed of issues affecting Jewish New Yorkers this week. On Tuesday night, a police officer was hospitalized and police deployed pepper-spray during an unruly protest over an Israeli real estate event at Park East Synagogue on the Upper East Side.
Police control a crowd that includes pro-Palestinian protesters near the Park East Synagogue on May 5, 2026.Photo by Lloyd Mitchell
And earlier this week, a Queens community was left shaken and concerned after a group of hateful vandals was alleged to have spray-painted swastikas at five different locations in local neighborhoods, including synagogues and private homes. Police are still searching for the suspects.
Jewish leaders across the city, including Ambassador Ofir Akunis, Consul General of Israel in New York, reacted with immediate concern and condemnation of the horrific hate spree.
“As we warned, hateful language always turns into dangerous actions. I call upon all elected officials to not only speak, but act, against the rise of antisemitism now,” Akunis said. The vandalism comes at a time when global antisemitism is steadily increasing. Nazi symbols have no place anywhere, including New York City, home to the largest Jewish population outside of Israel.”
Breaking down the ADL’s data
Despite a reduction of nearly 300 antisemitic incidents in 2025 compared to 2024, Richman emphasized the need for continued effort to combat hate.
“This decline does mark the first reversal of an upward trend that has persisted every year since 2021, but the numbers make clear that much work remains,” he said.
Key findings in the ADL’s audit include:
Overall: 1,160 antisemitic incidents in 2025, down 19% from 1,437 in 2024. New York ranked #1 in the United States for overall incidents.
Incident types: Assaults: 90; Vandalism: 354 (down 20%); Harassment: 716 (down 21%).
National rankings: #1 in the United States for incidents at businesses (137), universities (105), Jewish institutions (227), and in public areas (410). #2 for incidents at K-12 schools (141) behind New Jersey.
Five-year trend: Incidents are up 179% since 2021.
Brooklyn, specifically, saw a 10% increase in antisemitic incidents. In contrast with the decrease in New York and national overall antisemitic incidents, Brooklyn experienced a 10% increase in antisemitic incidents in 2025 compared to 2024.
While gathering data for its report, the ADL stressed that it is “is careful to not conflate general criticism of Israel or anti-Israel activism with antisemitism.”