New York City saw a 182% spike in anti-Jewish hate crimes in January—31 incidents versus 11 a year earlier—making up more than half of the month’s 56 hate crimes. At the same time, shooting incidents, shooting victims and murders hit record lows, and overall crime fell 6.7%. The ADL called the surge "staggering" and urged Mayor Mamdani to appoint leadership for the Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism after he rescinded the city's prior adoption of the IHRA definition on Jan. 1.
Antisemitic Incidents in NYC Surge 182% in January Even As Overall Crime Falls
A general view shows the Chabad Lubavitch world headquarters on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, in New York. City officials said a man intentionally and repeatedly crashed his car into the building in what was being investigated as a hate crime.(AP Newsroom)
New York City recorded a sharp rise in antisemitic incidents in January, even as several major crime categories fell to historic lows, according to NYPD data released Tuesday.
The NYPD reported that anti-Jewish hate crimes surged 182%, with 31 incidents in January compared with 11 in January 2025. Those incidents accounted for more than half of the city’s 56 reported hate crimes for the month, a 152% increase from the same period a year earlier.
The Anti-Defamation League’s New York and New Jersey office described the spike as "staggering," and highlighted a range of disturbing episodes that have alarmed Jewish neighborhoods across the city.
"From swastikas at a playground in Boro Park to a car ramming at Chabad headquarters in Crown Heights, the Jewish community in NYC is very much on edge," said Scott Richman, ADL regional director. "In the face of this, we urge Mayor Mamdani to quickly name the next head of the Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism and to appoint a leader who will both represent this diverse Jewish community and confront all forms of antisemitism."
While hate crimes rose sharply, the NYPD reported that January was the safest on record in several violent-crime categories. The city logged 40 shooting incidents and 47 shooting victims, down from previous lows of 50 incidents and 56 victims (set in 2025 and 2019, respectively). Murders fell to 12, breaking the prior low of 22 (2018 and 2022).
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani scrapped an executive order adopting the IHRA antisemitism standard on his first day in office.
Overall crime across the city declined by 6.7%, driven by decreases in burglary, robbery, auto theft, grand larceny and felony assault, the police data show.
Political Context
The numbers have intensified debate over how the city defines and combats antisemitism. Former Mayor Eric Adams had adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism, which describes antisemitism as "hatred toward Jews" and offers examples such as "denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination" and applying double standards to Israel. On Jan. 1, Mayor Mamdani rescinded the city's formal adoption of the IHRA definition, a move that some Jewish students and community members said weakened protections.
Civic groups and community leaders are calling for urgent action, including the quick appointment of leadership for the Mayor’s Office to Combat Antisemitism and stepped-up investigative and prevention efforts by law enforcement.
Reporting from NYPD data; Fox News Digital contributed to original coverage.
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