Report Reveals 250 Anti-Semitic and Anti-Israel Incidents in New York Public Schools
A new report by the United Jewish Teachers organization has documented 250 incidents of anti-Semitism and anti-Israel hostility in New York City public schools between October 7, 2023, and the end of July 2024. The report highlights that 64.8% of these incidents involved direct actions against individuals or property, including verbal harassment, threats, assaults, vandalism, and Nazi symbols such as swastikas. Another 23.2% related to biased teaching materials and instruction about Israel and the Middle East, while 9.6% involved protests, school walkouts, and exclusion of students from events. The remaining 2.4% included staff statements and online posts.
Brooklyn recorded the highest number of incidents with 91 cases (36.8%), followed by Queens with 68, Manhattan with 62, the Bronx with 22, and Staten Island with seven. Specific examples cited include a student at Townsend Harris High School harassed for planning to enlist in the IDF, a Nazi symbol and apartheid accusation poster at Flushing High School, and a swastika carved into a board at Brooklyn Technical High School. The report also notes verbal harassment involving anti-Semitic stereotypes, Holocaust references, and calls for violence against Jewish Israelis. It alleges that religious accommodations for Jewish students were sometimes denied or restricted.
The report was sent to New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Schools Chancellor David Banks, emphasizing a persistent pattern of hostility toward Jewish students, teachers, and staff that creates a hostile learning and working environment. United Jewish Teachers president Moshe Spern stated the report aims to compel authorities to act, criticizing current policies as failures. The organization demands adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism, mandatory police investigations before removing hate graffiti, a public incident database, mandatory training, and review of curricula for bias.
Official education data shows a rise in complaints about bullying, harassment, and discrimination based on religion, from 151 cases in 2018-2019 to 398 in 2023-2024, with 319 incidents recorded in 2024-2025 so far. However, these statistics do not specify victims' religions, making it unclear how many cases targeted Jews. The Department of Education affirmed its commitment to safety and respect for all students and staff, stating zero tolerance for hate or bias, including anti-Semitism, and noted that every school has staff responsible for preventing bullying and prejudice.
