Overview
- Residents and congregants in Forest Hills and Rego Park found swastikas and “Heil Hitler” graffiti on synagogues, a Jewish center, and private homes Monday morning, including on a Kristallnacht memorial plaque.
- The NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force opened an investigation and is seeking at least four suspects, with surveillance video from a synagogue turned over to detectives.
- One targeted center houses a pre-K program, and a vandalized home belongs to a Holocaust survivor, heightening fear among families and seniors in the neighborhood.
- Mayor Zohran Mamdani condemned the acts as deliberate antisemitic intimidation, and City Council leaders visited affected sites and coordinated with police on next steps.
- Police released data showing Jews comprised about 60% of confirmed hate-crime victims last month, and some outlets reported an arrest that police had not confirmed.