$6.4M To Combat Antisemitism In NYC: What To Know

NEW YORK CITY— Mayor Zohran Mamdani released New York City’s first municipal strategy to combat antisemitism Tuesday, outlining new spending on hate prevention, security, education and Jewish cultural institutions.

The plan calls for city agencies to work on seven areas: preventing hate violence, addressing physical, verbal and digital antisemitism, educating New Yorkers, supporting survivors, protecting and celebrating Jewish life, listening to Jewish New Yorkers and celebrating Jewish culture and traditions.

“Antisemitism is a complex and persistent form of hate, and it cannot be addressed through a single program or agency,” Phylisa Wisdom, executive director of the Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism, said.

Here are 4 things to know about the strategy:

1. NYC Will Spend $6.4 Million On Hate Prevention

The City will provide $6.4 million in Partners Against The Hate grants to community organizations working on hate-crime prevention and survivor support.

The funding doubles last year’s allocation.

The strategy also builds on Mamdani’s $26 million investment in the city’s Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes.

2. Synagogues Will Receive Security Funding

The City will spend $1 million to improve security at synagogues and other houses of worship.

The money could help religious institutions pay for security improvements, but the city has not yet said how much each institution could receive or exactly what the funding will cover.

The administration will also bring back the Security Infrastructure Working Group.

The group will help Jewish houses of worship and cultural institutions identify security needs and find ways to address them.

New York City has nearly 1 million Jewish residents, according to a 2023 study by UJA-Federation of New York.

Brooklyn has the city's largest Jewish population, with about 462,000 Jewish residents.

The Community Security Service, a nonprofit group that trains volunteers to protect Jewish institutions, reported in 2024 that more than 400 New York-area synagogues participated in its security network.

3. More Students Will Learn About Jewish History

The new plan would give more New York City public school students the chance to visit the Museum of Jewish Heritage and learn about Jewish history, the Holocaust and Jewish life in New York.

Students already learn about the Holocaust and Jewish American history through social studies classes. The school system also provides teachers with lessons on antisemitism, discrimination and Jewish history.

For the 2025-26 school year, the school system began giving schools new lessons about Jewish Americans and their contributions to U.S. history.

The new plan would expand opportunities for students to learn about these subjects through visits to the Museum of Jewish Heritage in Lower Manhattan.

The City also plans to spend $2 million to complete the Queens Holocaust Memorial and $2.5 million on the Center for New Jewish Culture in Central Brooklyn.

The plan also calls for the school system to address complaints of discrimination involving students, including Jewish students.

4. New Yorkers Will Get More Information About Reporting Discrimination

The City plans to launch a public campaign explaining New Yorkers’ rights under the New York City Human Rights Law and how to report discrimination.

The campaign will explain where New Yorkers can turn if they believe they have faced discrimination.

It will appear on LinkNYC screens and in other public spaces across the five boroughs.

The New York City Commission on Human Rights investigates complaints and enforces the City’s human rights law.

People can file complaints with the commission if they believe someone has discriminated against them.