Headlines

Manchester business defaced with swastikas and "white power" graffiti.
US settlement resolves LMU discrimination against Jewish students taking exams on holidays.
Jewish students targeted on Rosh Hashanah: Mezuzahs smashed at Canadian university, Jerusalem synagogue egged.

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Transcript

You're listening to Antisemitism Watch, I'm Rachel Adler.

We begin with disturbing acts of vandalism targeting Jewish communities and institutions. In Manchester, New Hampshire, vandals spray-painted swastikas and the words "white power" on the side of The Moka Pot coffee shop and smashed its windows. Co-owner Dan Haggerty told reporters, "No one here is scared," while Mayor Jay Ruais condemned the act as "disgusting" and stated it has "absolutely no place in this city." Manchester Police are investigating the hate crime, according to reporting reviewed for this episode.

Over the Rosh Hashanah weekend, two homes in Imperial Beach, California, were also vandalized with Nazi swastikas and other antisemitic graffiti, according to reporting reviewed for this episode.

In New York City, accountability has been reached for an antisemitic assault. Yehia Amin was sentenced to 90 days in jail after pleading guilty to assault as a hate crime. Prosecutors stated Amin stalked kippah-wearing Jews through Times Square and punched an Israeli tourist days after October 7th, making antisemitic threats such as "Hamas should kill more of you" and "all Jews should die." Glenn Richter of the New York Jewish Community Judicial Watch Group commented on Amin's demeanor during the sentencing, according to reporting reviewed for this episode.

Jewish students faced harassment on campus and abroad during the recent Rosh Hashanah holiday. At Wilfrid Laurier University in Ontario, Canada, two Jewish prayer scrolls, known as mezuzahs, were smashed and torn from residence doors. Rabbi Moshe Goldman of the Rohr Chabad Centre for Jewish Life described the impact as creating "intimidation" and "fear" for Jewish students, CBC News reported.

In Jerusalem, a Reform synagogue was pelted with eggs by youths on Rosh Hashanah, marking the second such attack on the synagogue in a month, according to reporting reviewed for this episode.

On the political and media front, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced he has no plans to attend protests against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his visit for the United Nations General Assembly. Mamdani, who had previously pledged to seek Netanyahu's arrest, stated his focus is on ensuring city safety and respecting the right to protest, according to reporting reviewed for this episode.

Meanwhile, comedian Bill Maher used his HBO show to criticize musicians like Macklemore for labeling the war in Gaza a "genocide," arguing that such rhetoric contributes to a global rise in antisemitism. Maher stated, "Gaza equals genocide is a lie, an easily provable lie," according to reporting reviewed for this episode.

Watchdog groups are tracking a significant number of global antisemitic incidents. CAM documented 104 antisemitic incidents worldwide in the past week, with 57.7% linked to the Far-Left and 28.8% to Islamist-inspired sources. CAM also noted persistent 9/11 conspiracy theories blaming Jews. This coincides with New York Police Department data showing that antisemitic offenses constituted over half of all confirmed hate crimes in New York City during the first eight months of 2026, according to reporting reviewed for this episode.

In institutional and policy developments, the U.S. Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services announced a settlement with Lincoln Memorial University, resolving a civil rights complaint. The university had allegedly enacted policies preventing Jewish students from taking final exams that fell on Jewish holidays. HHS Director Paul Stannard emphasized the settlement underscores a commitment to "eliminating antisemitism and religious discrimination," The Algemeiner reported.

In Australia, the health regulator AHPRA adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, or IHRA, definition of antisemitism. Internal documents revealed concerns that the definition "may create further ambiguity" and "the perception of alignment with particular political positions," according to reporting reviewed for this episode.

U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen is advocating for increased federal security funding for religious institutions. Citing FBI data that Jewish Americans were the target of nearly 70% of religiously motivated hate crimes in the U.S. in 2025, Rosen highlighted the severe financial and psychological toll on congregations, according to reporting reviewed for this episode.

I'm Rachel Adler, thank you for listening to Antisemitism Watch.

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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:
- unionleader.com: https://www.unionleader.com/news/local/manchester/manchester-rallies-around-moka-pot-after-vandals-spray-paint-swastika-racist-graffiti/article_81c34059-cc9f-41fc-a171-fab3ca96291e.html
- combatantisemitism.org: https://combatantisemitism.org/cam-news/nazi-swastika-vandalism-reported-at-two-san-diego-homes-on-rosh-hashanah/
- wvlt.tv: https://www.wvlt.tv/video/2026/09/16/lincoln-memorial-university-reaches-federal-settlement-end-discrimination-against-jewish-students/
- cbc.ca: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitchener-waterloo/jewish-prayer-scrolls-smashed-torn-from-residence-doors-at-wilfrid-laurier-university-9.7344858
- clevelandjewishnews.com: https://www.clevelandjewishnews.com/jns/mamdani-says-he-won-t-protest-netanyahu-during-un-visit/article_81490ac9-102a-5174-8b0c-ce6dc8cf301d.html
- nypost.com: https://nypost.com/2026/09/16/media/bill-maher-rips-macklemores-gaza-stance-says-celebrity-moral-confusion-is-fueling-antisemitism/
- youtube.com: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igGNV8YA1FE
- foxbusiness.com: https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6405154053112
- Algemeiner: https://www.algemeiner.com/2026/09/16/trump-admin-settles-antisemitism-civil-rights-complaint-lincoln-memorial-university/
- deepcutnews.com: https://www.deepcutnews.com/p/exclusive-ahpra-chief-reveals-heightened
- jpost.com: https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-908815
- jpost.com: https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-908749
- timesofisrael.com: https://www.timesofisrael.com/jerusalem-reform-synagogue-pelted-with-eggs-on-rosh-hashanah/
- timesofisrael.com: https://www.timesofisrael.com/nyc-man-who-attacked-israeli-in-hate-crime-after-oct-7-sentenced-to-90-days/
- columbusjewishnews.com: https://www.columbusjewishnews.com/jns/as-judge-gives-him-90-days-for-attacking-jews-in-times-square-man-flashes-victory/article_62b75500-97f2-5d68-8491-8bc86c9beeb9.html