New York City public schools have documented at least 250 antisemitic and anti-Israel incidents since the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel, according to a report released by the United Jewish Teachers (UJT). The findings emerge as the city grapples with a broader increase in hate crimes, with antisemitic incidents comprising over half of the total, according to recent NYPD data.
The report characterizes the incidents as a "persistent pattern of hostility directed at Jewish students, educators, and staff," creating "hostile learning and working environments across the system." The UJT shared its findings with Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels.
Incidents documented by the UJT include direct acts of harassment, vandalism, and threats, which accounted for 65% of the tracked cases. Another 23% involved biased curriculum and instructional materials related to Israel and the Middle East, while 10% involved disruptive events like walkouts and protests. The remaining incidents were attributed to staff actions, including online posts.
Geographically, 37% of the reported incidents occurred in Brooklyn schools, followed by Queens (27%), Manhattan (25%), The Bronx (9%), and Staten Island (2%).
Examples cited in the report include a student at Townsend High School in Queens being harassed for joining the Israel Defense Forces upon graduation, a flyer with a Nazi symbol and anti-Israel sentiment found at Flushing High School, a swastika carved into a blackboard at Brooklyn Tech High School, and a teacher at Manhattan's Heritage High School attending an anti-Israel protest.
Moshe Spern, President of United Jewish Teachers, noted that verbal harassment often involved antisemitic tropes, Holocaust references, and "eliminationist language." Vandalism included swastikas and other hate symbols, and physical threats and assaults were also reported. He also stated that Jewish students' religious accommodations and participation in school life were obstructed in multiple instances.
Spern criticized the city Department of Education's response, stating, "Many incidents documented by United Jewish Teachers show limited or no effective follow-through by school or district leadership, allowing hostile conditions to persist." He added that the city's own reports show a surge in student-on-student religious discrimination, which he believes predominantly affects Jewish students.
The UJT report recommends that the city adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's working definition of antisemitism across all Department of Education policies and training. It also calls for mandatory NYPD investigations for hate graffiti, the establishment of a public portal to report antisemitic incidents in schools, mandatory training on antisemitism, and a curriculum review for biased narratives about Israel and the Middle East.
A spokesperson for Chancellor Samuels stated that the Department of Education (DOE) has "zero tolerance" for discrimination, including antisemitism. The DOE investigates all reported incidents in accordance with its regulations and applicable laws. The department highlights its "Respect for All" program, which designates staff members in every school to lead anti-bullying and bias prevention efforts and provides multiple channels for reporting incidents.
While city schools do not specifically report hate incidents by religion, overall student-on-student incidents of bullying, harassment, and discrimination based on religion have increased significantly. These incidents rose from 151 in the 2018-2019 school year to 367 in 2022-2023, 398 in 2023-2024, and 319 in 2024-2025, according to DOE data.