Swastikas Spray-Painted on Queens Synagogues, Homes in Antisemitic Spree

Swastikas and Hitler graffiti were discovered Monday morning on multiple Jewish sites, homes, and a car across Queens in what authorities are investigating as a coordinated antisemitic vandalism spree.

At least five locations were targeted, including Congregation Machane Chodosh in Forest Hills, a synagogue founded by German-Jewish refugees who fled Nazi persecution and dedicated the institution to Holocaust remembrance.

NOW: Multiple buildings including a school are tagged with swastikas and other antisemitic graffiti overnight in Queens NYC https://t.co/BfpNh553hOpic.twitter.com/cJPjPoPO6M

— Oliya Scootercaster ? (@ScooterCasterNY) May 4, 2026

“The rabbi who founded our synagogue was himself a German refugee and dedicated the synagogue to the memory of the synagogues that were destroyed in Germany and the Jews who were murdered for being Jewish,” Rabbi Yossi Mendelson told The New York Post.

A swastika was spray-painted on the synagogue’s street-facing façade, partially covering a plaque commemorating Jewish communities destroyed during the Holocaust. Mendelson said the location of the vandalism added weight to the incident.

“The street is named Holocaust Memorial Corners so it feels so much more significant that this happened, it brings up our history and reminds us that we have to stick together and we have no choice but to lean into our identity and celebrate it.”

Other sites hit in the spree included the Rego Park Jewish Center, two homes, and a car, according to law enforcement sources. At the Jewish center, which is used by children and seniors, graffiti referencing Hitler was found on the building.

City Council Speaker Julie Menin said police are searching for at least four suspects in connection with the attacks.

“When rabbis and congregants arrived to pray this morning, they expected to be met with their usual loving community,” Menin wrote on X. “When a family woke up, they were prepared to begin an otherwise normal week. Instead, they were met with terrifying signals of hatred and threats of violence.”

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani also condemned the incidents, calling them part of a broader pattern of antisemitic intimidation.

“This is not just vandalism — it is a deliberate act of antisemitic hatred meant to instill fear,” Mamdani said. “There is no place for antisemitism in Queens or anywhere in our city. I stand in solidarity with our Jewish neighbors. Their safety, dignity, and belonging are non-negotiable.”

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said state police are assisting the NYPD in the investigation, while House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said he was “appalled” by what he described as coordinated antisemitic vandalism across Jewish institutions.

“I am appalled that the Jewish community in New York City is once again under attack, this time the target of horrifying, coordinated antisemitic vandalism across institutions in Queens,” Jeffries said.

The NYPD said the incidents are still under investigation and that it is working to determine whether they are connected. The department’s Hate Crimes Task Force is involved, and Congregation Machane Chodosh has provided surveillance footage to investigators.