MID-ATLANTIC EDITION

Headlines

Brooklyn Jewish Schools Evacuated Amid Bomb Threats
NYC Teachers Accused of Disrupting Vigils, Praising Terrorist
NY Swastika Law Debate: Prosecutors as "Speech Police"?

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Transcript

You're listening to Antisemitism Watch: Mid-Atlantic edition, I'm Rachel Adler.

Two Jewish schools in Brooklyn were evacuated Friday morning, October 9th, after receiving phoned-in bomb threats minutes apart. According to the New York Police Department, the threats targeted the Yeshivah of Flatbush Joel Braverman High School and the United Talmudical Academy. Emergency Service Units and K-9 teams responded, leading to evacuations and building searches, though no explosives were found and the threats were deemed unfounded. The ADL’s New York and New Jersey office stated they were aware of the incidents, which followed a similar bomb threat at a Lakewood, New Jersey, Orthodox synagogue earlier that week. State Assemblyman Michael Novakhov also addressed the Brooklyn threats, stating he spoke directly with the NYPD following the incident.

In a separate incident concerning educators, reporting from nypost.com states that Damien Neva, a teacher at PS 77 in Park Slope, allegedly praised terror leader Yahya al-Sinwar in a group chat. This occurred weeks after the first anniversary of Hamas's October 7th attack on Israel, raising concerns about ideological influence in public schools.

Also in New York City public schools, Mia Kurzer, a special education teacher at The Heritage School in East Harlem, is accused of disrupting a vigil honoring victims of the October 7th massacre. According to a complaint filed with the Department of Education and reported by nypost.com, Kurzer participated in chants such as 'globalize the intifada' and carried flags associated with terrorist groups Hamas and Hezbollah. A Jewish activist who filed the complaint argues this conduct creates a hostile environment for Jewish students and staff, citing a pattern of behavior that includes previous protests outside a synagogue and wearing a keffiyeh in school.

Elsewhere in the region, a crash victim in New Jersey reportedly rejected Orthodox Jewish medics from Hatzolah multiple times due to antisemitism, according to ynetnews.com. This incident highlights tensions and bias within emergency medical services.

New York's controversial aggravated harassment law, which addresses swastikas placed on property, is drawing scrutiny. An excerpt from yahoo.com discusses how the law, requiring subjective determinations of intent to harass, has led to prosecutors being called 'Speech Police,' potentially infringing on free speech rights. Cases cited include vandalism of Teslas and a student at NYU charged for raising a flag with swastikas and a Star of David to protest NYU’s handling of political issues around Israel.

In political news, a figure named Leeser urged the Labor party to 'vote for your own antisemitism policy,' according to australianjewishnews.com, referencing harassment, assaults, and spitting directed at Jewish people. Meanwhile, in New York, Attorney General Letitia James faced sharp criticism from her opponent Saritha Komatireddy during a televised debate regarding her record on hate crime prosecutions, particularly antisemitism, and allegations of political bias, as reported by nypost.com. On Sunday afternoon, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, the Republican nominee for New York governor, convened a roundtable discussion in Williamsburg with community leaders, including Rav Yoel Landau and Rabbi David Katz, to discuss issues facing the Jewish community, such as public safety and opposition to antisemitism, according to VINnews.com.

I'm Rachel Adler, thank you for listening to Antisemitism Watch: Mid-Atlantic edition.

For broader coverage of antisemitism across the United States and around the world, listen to Antisemitism Watch at clockwork media dot org slash A W.

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This report was generated with AI assistance and may contain inaccuracies. Please verify important details with primary sources.

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Sources:
- ynetnews.com: https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/hydwl1fogg
- jpost.com: https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-911336
- nypost.com: https://nypost.com/2026/10/11/us-news/nyc-teacher-disrupts-vigil-for-victims-of-october-7-hamas-massacre/
- nypost.com: https://nypost.com/2026/10/11/opinion/nyc-teachers-outrageous-pro-terror-comments-letters/
- vinnews.com: https://vinnews.com/2026/10/11/nassau-county-executive-bruce-blakeman-holds-roundtable-with-williamsburg-philanthropist-on-jewish-community-issues/
- australianjewishnews.com: https://www.australianjewishnews.com/leeser-to-labor-vote-for-your-own-antisemitism-policy/amp/
- yahoo.com: https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/yorks-controversial-anti-swastika-law-100026005.html

If you've witnessed or experienced an antisemitic incident, report it to your local Jewish Federation:

In a true emergency, call 911 first.

• Middlesex & Monmouth, NJ — Jewish Federation in the Heart of New Jersey: Report an incident

• Greater MetroWest, NJ (Essex, Morris, Union, Somerset) — Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ: Report an incident

• Northern NJ (Bergen, Hudson, Passaic) — Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey: Report an incident

• Greater Philadelphia — Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia: Report an incident

• NYC, Long Island, Westchester & Rockland — UJA-Federation of New York: Responding to antisemitism