Jews Account for Majority of NYC Hate Crimes in First Month Under Mamdani

Jews in New York City were targeted in 31 alleged hate crimes in January, an average of one antisemitic incident per day, according to data released Monday by the New York Police Department.

The anti-Jewish incidents accounted for 54% of the 58 total hate crimes reported citywide during the first month of the year, making Jews the most frequently targeted group by a wide margin.

The January total represented a 182% increase compared to the same month last year, when 11 antisemitic hate crimes were recorded. While the figure marked a decline from the 40 incidents reported in December, it shows the persistent pattern in which Jews are targeted more than all other groups combined.

January was also the first full month under Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration, providing an early snapshot of hate crime trends at the start of the year.

According to NYPD data, antisemitic incidents continue to dominate the city’s hate crime landscape. In 2025, police recorded 330 antisemitic incidents, accounting for 57% of the 576 total bias crimes reported that year. Jewish security officials and hate crime experts have previously warned that many incidents are likely not reported to police, suggesting the true scope may be larger. Hate crime convictions remain relatively rare, though such offenses carry steeper penalties because they are considered attacks on entire communities rather than individual victims.

Beyond antisemitic incidents, January’s hate crime breakdown included seven incidents targeting Muslims, five against Asians, five motivated by sexual orientation, three targeting other religious groups, two against Black people, two motivated by gender, and one incident each targeting age, Hispanic identity, and white people.

Several antisemitic incidents in January drew particular attention. In one case, two teenagers were charged with scrawling 73 swastikas on a playground used by Jewish children. In another, a rabbi was punched in the face on Holocaust Remembrance Day. In a separate incident, a driver smashed his vehicle into the entrance of the Chabad Hasidic movement’s world headquarters.

The rise in antisemitic hate crimes occurred even as overall violent crime in New York City continued to decline. In the same January report, the NYPD announced the fewest shooting incidents, shooting victims, and murders ever recorded for any January in city history. Murders fell by 60% compared to last year, and both Manhattan and Staten Island went the entire month without a single homicide.

Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the results reflected a data-driven enforcement strategy and expanded deployment of officers, noting that major crime declined citywide despite seasonal challenges.

At the same time, the number of bias incidents investigated by the NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force rose sharply. Overall hate crime investigations increased by 152% compared to January last year, driven largely by the surge in antisemitic cases.

In response to the trend, members of the New York City Council last week announced the creation of a Task Force to Combat Antisemitism and introduced legislation aimed at curbing antisemitic activity. The effort seeks to strengthen oversight, enforcement tools, and policy responses as the city confronts a sustained rise in anti-Jewish hate crimes.