Antisemitic vandals target Jewish homes, synagogues in New York City

 Two synagogues, multiple Jewish homes, and a vehicle were vandalized with antisemitic, neo-Nazi graffiti in Queens, New York.

By World Israel News Staff

Several Jewish sites and private homes in Queens were defaced with swastikas and antisemitic graffiti overnight Sunday, prompting a hate crimes investigation and condemnation from city officials and Jewish community leaders.

The vandalism targeted at least two synagogues, several homes, and a vehicle, according to local officials and media reports.

The sites included Rego Park Jewish Center and Congregation Machane Chodosh in Forest Hills.

Rabbi Romiel Daniel of Rego Park Jewish Center said the synagogue was vandalized before dawn with Nazi swastikas and the phrase “Heil Hitler.”

A pentagram and the phrase “F*ck Baahl” were also spray-painted at the site, apparently a reference to online conspiracy theories promoting the false claim that Judaism includes secret rituals in worship of deities bearing the honorific “Baal.”

A plaque honoring victims of Kristallnacht was also defaced at Congregation Machane Chodosh, a synagogue founded by German Jewish refugees.

“The swastika actually lands right over a plaque dedicated to Jews murdered in Germany because they were Jewish,” Rabbi Yosef Mendelson of Congregation Machane Chodosh told ABC7. “Especially because our synagogue was built by refugees from Germany.”

New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin said police were investigating multiple sites after she visited Congregation Machane Chodosh with Council members Lynn Schulman and Phil Wong.

The NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said.

“I am horrified and angered by the swastikas painted on homes and synagogues in Queens,” Mamdani wrote on X. He called the vandalism “a deliberate act of antisemitic hatred meant to instill fear.”

Sydney Altfield, CEO of Teach Coalition, said the attacks showed the need for stronger security support for Jewish institutions.

“Waking up to swastikas on a synagogue, homes, and a Jewish center that houses a preschool is not just vandalism, it is a direct act of intimidation against an entire community,” Altfield said.

“We’re working closely with synagogue leadership and guiding next steps to protect families and strengthen security in the short term,” she added.

Altfield said the incident underscored the importance of security grants and ensuring institutions can access them.

“This is exactly why sustained investment in security for Jewish institutions is so critical,” she said. “It also underscores how important it is not only to secure that funding but also to ensure institutions can access it.”

Jewish Community Relations Council of New York CEO Mark Treyger said one of the targeted sites housed a pre-kindergarten program, “where young children, their families, and staff were greeted with swastikas and other hateful vandalism,” according to The Jerusalem Post.

Rep. Grace Meng condemned the graffiti as “disgusting” and said antisemitic hate would not be accepted in Queens.

“Once again, antisemitic hate has reared its ugly head in our community, and I am sickened by this vile act of antisemitism,” Meng said. “I’ve said it many times, and I will say it again: Hate has no place in Queens or anywhere else in our society.”

Altfield thanked elected officials for responding quickly.

“We will continue working with Congregation Machane Chodosh and other institutions to help them secure the grants and resources needed to strengthen their security across the community,” she said.

“We thank New York’s elected leaders for their strong and immediate support and for standing with Jewish New Yorkers when it matters most.”