NYC Mayor Adams establishes Mayor's Office to Combat Antisemitism
Flushing, N.Y.: New York City Mayor Eric Adams speaks during the NYPD Guardians Association's Black History Month Celebration at the NYPD Police Academy in Flushing, New York on February 18, 2025. (Photo by Steve Pfost/Newsday RM via Getty Images)
NEW YORK CITY - Amidst a significant rise in antisemitic hate crimes, specifically in the city, New York City Mayor Eric Adams has established the Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism.
Antisemitism on the rise in NYC
What we know:
In 2023, 44 percent of all recorded hate crime incidents and 88 percent of religious-based hate crimes targeted Jewish victims, according to a report issued by New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli.
The report also notes that hate crimes against Jewish New Yorkers rose by 89 percent between 2018 and 2023.
The Anti-Defamation League reported that the state with the highest levels of antisemitic incidents in 2024 was New York, sitting at 1,437.
City officials responding
This office is the first of its kind established in a major city in the United States, Adams' office reports, but it is not New York's first attempt to combat antisemitism.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul addressed the rise in hate crimes in the state last year by introducing legislation to expand eligibility for hate crime prosecution.
The proposal included creating the Hate and Bias Prevention Unit and launching a new hotline (844-NO-2-HATE) and online form to report hate and bias incidents.
The New York City Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes office launched in 2019.
The Source: This article includes reporting from a press conference given by New York City Mayor Eric Adams, as well as statements from the offices of Mayor Adams and New York Governor Kathy Hochul.