MID-ATLANTIC EDITION

Headlines

Queens DA Indicts Man on Hate Crime Charges for Bagel Shop Vandalism
Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges for Vandalizing Maryland Jewish Cemetery
Brooklyn Subway Station Vandalized Over Alleged IDF Ties; 'Stop the Genocide' Banner Left

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Transcript

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

In Queens, a man is facing hate crime charges for allegedly targeting a Jewish-owned bagel shop. Dawood Faisal, 22, has been indicted by the Queens District Attorney's office for vandalizing Bagels & Co. on Union Turnpike on two occasions in May. Prosecutors state Faisal knocked over plant stands and hurled dirt at the storefront and its Israeli flags. Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said Faisal targeted the shop "specifically because it is Jewish-owned and featured Israeli flags." The indictment charges Faisal with two counts of third-degree criminal mischief as a hate crime, carrying a potential seven-year prison sentence if convicted. This incident comes as Faisal is also facing manslaughter and assault charges in a separate case, stemming from a deadly collision in late May, according to prosecutors. State Assemblymember David Weprin, whose district includes the shop, praised the hate crime indictment, stating, "this further demonstrates that we will never back down to hate." Faisal is scheduled to return to court on this matter November 12th.

A man has pleaded guilty to federal charges for vandalizing a Jewish cemetery in Maryland in 2023. George Horn, 36, admitted to spray-painting swastikas and other antisemitic symbols on multiple headstones at the Ohr Knesseth Israel Anshe Sfard Cemetery in Dundalk. Prosecutors said Horn targeted the cemetery because it is Jewish and that evidence shows he had "antisemitic animus toward Jewish people." Investigators found Mein Kampf on his phone and a journal referencing Nazism and white supremacy. Horn pleaded guilty to religious vandalism and faces up to three years in prison. He is scheduled for sentencing January 14th.

In Brooklyn last week, a pair of masked individuals targeted the Church Avenue subway station, destroying seven OMNY machines valued at $18,200. According to the New York Post, the vandals used a drill and paint to disable the payment readers as a protest against the manufacturer's alleged ties to the Israeli Defense Forces. Leaflets left at the scene declared "STOP THE GENOCIDE. FREE PALESTINE." The MTA has since repaired the machines, and the NYPD is investigating, with no arrests made as of Tuesday. The rhetoric used in the leaflets, connecting financial transactions to accusations of genocide and war profiteering, aligns with patterns identified in the IHRA definition of antisemitism.

Meanwhile, the New York State Democratic Party passed a resolution condemning Jew-hatred earlier this month. However, the party failed to publicize the measure in its announcements, drawing criticism. Republican New York City Councilmember Inna Vernikov told JNS that the party "would not have forgotten to publicize a resolution condemning any other form of hatred" and suggested they care "more about appeasing the far-Left than about meaningfully protecting Jews." Party Chairman Jay Jacobs acknowledged the omission was a mistake, stating they "dropped the ball" due to a focus on internal elections. The resolution itself lists examples of contemporary antisemitism including coded language, Holocaust denial, blood libels, conspiracy theories, accusations of dual loyalty, and using Israel as a pretext for hostility.

Finally, three years after the attack on the Jersey City community, the Jewish Federation of Southern New Jersey held a remembrance event, vowing to continue combating antisemitism.

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:
- gothamist.com: https://gothamist.com/news/queens-man-charged-with-hate-crime-at-jewish-owned-bagel-shop-displaying-israeli-flags
- nypost.com: https://nypost.com/2026/10/20/us-news/anti-israel-vandals-destroy-omny-machines-at-nyc-subway-station-over-alleged-idf-ties/
- clevelandjewishnews.com: https://www.clevelandjewishnews.com/jns/ny-dem-party-would-ve-publicized-measure-if-it-was-about-anything-but-jew-hatred/article_d6864d07-e7e0-5a81-8392-c23231bebf80.html
- newsweek.com: https://www.newsweek.com/hitler-book-owner-pleads-guilty-to-swastika-attack-on-jewish-cemetery-12598885
- timesofisrael.com: https://www.timesofisrael.com/nyc-man-already-charged-with-manslaughter-now-indicted-for-hate-crime-at-kosher-bagel-shop/
- facebook.com: https://www.facebook.com/RepJoshG/posts/three-years-after-107-we-remember-the-lives-lost-and-stand-with-those-still-heal/1692137048934958/

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