UES Pol Tackles Antisemitism With 5 New Bills

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — Upper East Side Councilmember Julie Menin, who was recently sworn in as the first Jewish council speaker, is rolling out a slate of five bills aimed at addressing antisemitism on Friday.

The package of bills includes funding for various safety and education initiatives, as well as a proposal to ban protests from taking place directly outside the entrances and exits of houses of worship, following the protest in November in front of the Park East Synagogue in her district.

The protest in question was in opposition to a Nefesh B'Nefesh event at the synagogue, a nonprofit that helps North American Jewish people move to Israel.

"What occurred outside @PESynagogue is not acceptable," Menin said in a tweet at the time about the protest. "Congregants must have the right to worship freely and to enter and exit their house of worship without impediment. Protests must have reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions," Menin wrote.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s spokesperson told Patch at the time that though Mamdani agrees that "every New Yorker should be free to enter a house of worship without intimidation," he also thinks that "these sacred spaces should not be used to promote activities in violation of international law," likely in reference to disputed Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

Friday's new bills come after NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said antisemitic incidents accounted for 57 percent of reported hate crimes in 2025, despite the fact that only approximately 10 percent of New York City residents are Jewish.

"As the first Jewish Speaker of the City Council, and as the daughter and granddaughter of Holocaust survivors, this issue is deeply personal to me," Menin said. "These actions are about protecting New Yorkers, and ensuring that hatred, harassment, and intimidation are never normalized in our city."

Here is a breakdown of what's being proposed.

1. Major investment in Holocaust education

The New York City Council plans to invest $1,250,000 over two years in the Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, which would support a new virtual Holocaust education experience, expand school outreach and broaden access for students citywide, Menin said.

2. A buffer zone at schools and houses of worship for protestors

The proposed legislation would create a designated safety buffer around the entrances and exits of houses of worship, aimed at preventing harassment, intimidation or interference with people attending religious services, Menin said.

3. Private school security camera installation

Under this proposal, the Council would create a needs-based reimbursement program to help private and religious schools install security camera systems, Menin said.

4. Community-based security training

A new city-backed initiative would fund security training and preparedness programs for Jewish organizations and institutions of all denominations, Menin said.

5. Antisemitism incident reporting hotline and data act

The Council also plans to establish a dedicated antisemitism reporting hotline housed within the NYC Commission on Human Rights, which would be responsible for tracking incident frequency, geographic patterns, and trends, then reporting findings to help guide future enforcement and policy decisions, Menin said.

For questions and tips, email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com.