There have been at least 250 antisemitic and anti-Israel incidents in New York City public schools since the Oct. 7, 2023, terror attacks on Israel sparked the Gaza war, according to a Jewish educators’ group.
The deeply disturbing number comes as the city experiences a troubling rise in overall hate crimes citywide this year — with more than half of the incidents deemed antisemitic, show the latest NYPD data.
“The data reveal a persistent pattern of hostility directed at Jewish students, educators, and staff,” said the United Jewish Teachers, referring to its school findings, in a report sent to Mayor Zohran Mamdani and schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels.
“The majority of documented cases involve direct acts of harassment, vandalism, and threats.
“Significant shares also involve biased curriculum and instructional materials, as well as disruptive events such as walkouts and protests,” the group said. “These incidents have created hostile learning and working environments across the system.”
While city schools don’t report hate episodes based on certain religions, student-on-student incidents of bullying, harassment, and discrimination based on religion overall have been skyrocketing — from 151 incidents in the pre-COVID pandemic 2018-2019 school year to 367 incidents in 2022-2023, 398 incidents in 2023-2024 and 319 in 2024-2025.
The UJT’s report found that 65% of the incidents it tracked involved “direct acts” — harassment, vandalism, assaults, the drawing of symbols such as swastikas and verbal threats.
Nearly one quarter, or 23%, covered biased teaching about Israel and the Middle East; 10% involved walkouts and the remainder were over other staff actions, including online posts, it said.
Thirty-seven percent of the reported incidents occurred in schools in Brooklyn, 27% in Queens, 25% in Manhattan, 9% in The Bronx and 2% on Staten Island.
The majority of the cases of verbal harassment involved antisemitic tropes, Holocaust references and “eliminationist language” directed against Israeli Jews. Vandalism featured swastikas and other hate symbols, and there were physical threats and assaults, too, said United Jewish Teachers President Moshe Spern.
“Jewish religious accommodations and participation in school life have also been denied or obstructed in multiple cases,” he said.
“Many incidents documented by United Jewish Teachers show limited or no effective follow-through by school or district leadership, allowing hostile conditions to persist. These patterns have continued across multiple school years, indicating that existing policies and practices have not adequately protected Jewish members of the school community. “
Among the examples:
- On May 1, a student at Townsend High School in Queens was harassed for joining the Israel Defense Force upon graduation.
- On May 28, a flyer in the hallway at Flushing High School, Queens, had a Nazi symbol and referred to Israel as an apartheid state.
- On Jan. 27, a swastika was carved into a blackboard at Brooklyn Tech High School.
- In November, a teacher at Manhattan’s Heritage High School attended a disruptive anti-Israel protest outside Park East Synagogue.
Spern of United Jewish Teachers said he’s not surprised that the city Department of Education’s own reports show that incidents of student-on-student religious discrimination has surged. While there is no breakdown of the religion of the victim, he said it’s safe to assume most of them were Jewish.
“It’s what I would expect. They haven’t done anything to address antisemitism,” he said.
His report recommends that the city adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism across all Department of Education regulations, policies and professional training.
Mamdani, who is a staunch critic of Israel, in January scrapped the IHRA executive order issued by his predecessor, former Mayor Eric Adams.
Other report recommendations call for mandatory NYPD investigation and evidence preservation for hate graffiti: establishing a central Department of Education public portal that regularly reports antisemitic incidents in schools; mandatory training regarding antisemitism and a review of curriculum for bias narratives about Israel and the Middle East.
“The data compiled by United Jewish Teachers demonstrate that antisemitism remains a serious and ongoing problem in New York City Public Schools,” Spern said.
A rep for Samuels said the DOE has “zero tolerance” for discrimination, including antisemitism.
“New York City Public Schools is focused on ensuring that every student and educator is safe and respected in school. We have a zero tolerance for hate or bias, including antisemitism, and investigate and respond to all reported incidents in accordance with our Chancellor’s Regulations and applicable laws,” the DOE representative said.
“Through our Respect for All program, every school has a dedicated staff member leading anti-bullying and bias prevention efforts, as well as multiple avenues for students, staff, and community members to report any incidents so they can be properly investigated and addressed.”
To report discrimination, students or staff can connect with their school’s Respect for All Liaison and or an adult in the school; file an online complaint through the DOE “Bullying Reporting” form; call the Anti-Hate Hotline at (718) 935-2289 or email RespectforAll@schools.nyc.gov
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