Mamdani Unveils NYC Antisemitism Strategy

Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Sept. 29, 2026 released a 35-page Strategy to Combat Antisemitism that his administration calls the nation’s first municipal-level plan. It details $7.4 million of a $26 million investment in the Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes, including $6.4 million in Partners Against the Hate grants—double last year’s funding—and $1 million to strengthen physical security at synagogues and other houses of worship. It also allocates $2 million to complete the Queens Holocaust memorial and $2.5 million for the Center for New Jewish Culture in Central Brooklyn, expands school visits to the Museum of Jewish Heritage, and relaunches an interagency Security Infrastructure Working Group. Jewish New Yorkers are about 10-12% of the population but victims in roughly half of reported hate crimes; antisemitic hate crimes are up 9% per the NYPD. Mamdani said the city must “confront the scourge of antisemitism now and in the future” and “build a city where Jewish New Yorkers are not only safe but celebrated.” Phylisa Wisdom, executive director of the Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism, said the seven-objective plan brings the full power of city government to prevention, survivor support, institution protection, education, and celebrating Jewish life. The document discusses IHRA, Jerusalem Declaration, and Nexus frameworks but adopts no single definition. A spokesperson for Council Speaker Julie Menin said combating antisemitism remains a top priority as she reviews the report. Coverage notes criticism of Mamdani’s Israel positions, including from Benjamin Netanyahu; the strategy does not address that conflict.