Headlines

Montgomery County Schools Face Surge in Antisemitism; NYC Mayor Defends Plan Amidst Rhetoric Criticism; Israeli Founder Denied SF Hackathon Entry
Canada Identifies 'Anti-Zionism' as Driver of Anti-Jewish Hate
US Jewish Community Spends Record $1 Billion on Security Amid Rising Threats

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Transcript

You're listening to Antisemitism Watch, I'm Rachel Adler. Today, we're tracking a significant surge in antisemitic incidents in Montgomery County, Maryland's public schools, controversy over political rhetoric in New York City, and disturbing allegations of discrimination faced by an Israeli founder in San Francisco.

We begin today in Montgomery County, Maryland, where over 40 rabbis and cantors have urged school district leadership to strengthen its response to a disturbing spike in antisemitic incidents. According to county statistics reported by wjla.com and foxbaltimore.com, incidents have doubled, from 253 two years ago to 600 last school year. Leaders like Rabbi Adam Raskin of Congregation Har Shalom describe a "normalization of antisemitic slurs" and a "proliferation of antisemitic symbols." While the superintendent suggests increased reporting is due to better training, families report real experiences of hate, including graffiti and online bullying. The Anti-Defamation League notes Maryland ranks fifth nationally for K-12 antisemitic incidents, with 84 percent occurring in Montgomery County. The clergy have offered their expertise to help train school staff.

In New York City, Mayor Zohran Mamdani is defending his plan to combat antisemitism against criticism from prominent Jewish groups, including the UJA-Federation and the New York Board of Rabbis. As reported by cbsnews.com and thejewishnews.com, these organizations argue that Mamdani's plan fails to address his own past rhetoric, such as his criticism of Israel and characterization of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a war criminal, which they contend contributes to rising antisemitism. Mamdani has maintained that criticism of a government's policies is distinct from bigotry. His administration has unveiled a strategy promising millions for security and education, but it notably omits a formal definition of antisemitism, leaving tensions unresolved regarding how anti-Zionism is addressed, adopting an approach similar to the Biden administration's national strategy.

Meanwhile, an Israeli startup founder was denied entry to a prestigious San Francisco hackathon after organizers allegedly made antisemitic remarks. Adam Levi, founder of AI startup Stealth, posted screenshots from Algemeiner showing organizer Mostapha Benhenda citing safety concerns related to Israeli military actions, referring to the IDF as "Israel Genocide Forces" and questioning Levi's participation due to his service in Unit 8200. Benhenda cited the security of Lebanese and Palestinian participants. In response to the controversy, major sponsor Andreesen Horowitz has withdrawn its financial support for the event.

Turning to online extremism, the global advocacy organization AJC reports that the 'manosphere'—a network of online forums and communities—has become a breeding ground for misogyny, conspiracy theories, racism, and antisemitism. According to the AJC, some corners of these spaces weaponize these platforms to spread hate, with users becoming 'red-pilled' to believe society favors women, leading to antisemitic claims about Jewish power and influence. The term 'Jew-pilled' signifies acceptance of conspiracy theories that Jews control societal systems.

In a significant policy development, the Canadian federal government has identified 'anti-Zionism' as a driver of anti-Jewish hate. A progress report from Public Safety Canada, released September 24th and reported by vancouver.citynews.ca, outlines this shift aimed at better recognizing and responding to contemporary antisemitism. The report touches upon ongoing debates and varying definitions of Zionism and anti-Zionism.

Data released this month reveals the immense financial burden placed on Jewish institutions due to rising threats. A study by the Jewish Federations of North America, detailed by jewishaz.com, found the American Jewish community spent a record $1.015 billion on security in 2025, a 33 percent increase from the previous year, averaging $225,000 per organization. This expenditure underscores the scale of threats, with FBI data noting that nearly 16 percent of over 33,000 hate crimes recorded between October 2023 and September 2026 were anti-Jewish. In response, Congress is considering the bipartisan Jewish American Security Act, which proposes $1 billion annually for security grants.

In the United Kingdom, antisemitic incidents at universities rose by 14 percent in the past academic year, reaching 95 incidents, according to haaretz.com. However, reporting indicates this figure remains significantly lower than the peak of 272 incidents recorded in the 2023-24 academic year, particularly following the surge after the October 7th attacks.

We also note an instance of Holocaust distortion. Far-right Israel critic James Fishback likened abortion to the Holocaust at an Ole Miss event, a statement previously flagged as antisemitic by the Combat Antisemitism Movement, as reported by timesofisrael.com.

Finally, in Italy, the Antisemitism Observatory recorded 963 antisemitic cases in 2025, more than double previous figures, as noted by usnews.com. This surge has led to political division, with the main opposition PD party boycotting a bill vote amid ongoing debates on how to address antisemitism in the wake of the October 7th attacks and the ensuing Gaza war.

That's our report for today. 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:
- fox43.com: https://www.fox43.com/video/news/local/dauphin-county/pa-senate-committee-hears-testimony-on-antisemitism-in-schools-and-across-the-commonwealth/521-e225d273-83b8-4faa-9a8d-81d6ca544543
- wjla.com: https://wjla.com/news/local/montgomery-county-public-schools-antisemitism-jewish-students-rabbis-cantors-adam-raskin-congregation-har-shalom-potomac-sue-shankman-washington-hebrew-thomas-taylor-jcrc-educator-training-hate-bias-incidents-nazi-graffiti-social-media-threats-adl
- combatantisemitism.org: https://combatantisemitism.org/interview/the-price-of-belonging-from-campus-antisemitism-to-an-idf-war-room/
- haaretz.com: https://www.haaretz.com/jewish/2026-09-30/ty-article/.premium/antisemitic-incidents-rise-at-u-k-universities-remain-below-post-oct-7-peak/000001a0-f2a4-dfbb-afa4-f3f405e50000
- foxbaltimore.com: https://foxbaltimore.com/news/local/montgomery-county-public-schools-mcps-rabbi-adam-raskin-congregation-har-shalom-megan-clarke-7news-antisemitism-jewish-students-clergy-letter-teacher-training-holocaust-education-hate-bias-swastikas-online-bullying-families-community-partnership-school?teaserSource=trending
- cbsnews.com: https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/zohran-mamdani-defends-plan-to-combat-antisemitism/
- cbsnews.com: https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/video/mamdani-defends-plan-to-combat-antisemitism-after-criticism-from-jewish-groups/
- youtube.com: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KE73oJF0us
- haaretz.com: https://www.haaretz.com/world-news/europe/2026-09-30/ty-article/israeli-minister-backs-french-far-right-leader-amid-antisemitism-allegations/000001a0-f18d-de31-a7f0-f99fde5b0001
- ajc.org: https://www.ajc.org/news/the-manosphere-explained
- Algemeiner: https://www.algemeiner.com/2026/09/30/israeli-tech-founder-banned-hackathon-competition-sponsors-withdraw-support/
- vancouver.citynews.ca: https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2026/09/30/ottawa-is-shifting-its-stance-on-anti-zionism-and-the-reactions-so-far-are-mixed/
- usnews.com: https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2026-09-30/italys-main-opposition-pd-boycotts-antisemitism-bill-vote-amid-split-on-left
- thejewishnews.com: https://www.thejewishnews.com/mamdani-rolls-out-nyc-s-first-plan-for-fighting-antisemitism-without-defining-the-term/article_418d9861-5677-4629-8229-e36e20e57111.html
- jewishaz.com: https://www.jewishaz.com/community/jfna-study-finds-american-jewish-community-spent-more-than-1-billion-on-security-last-year/article_51956d35-6248-4fc5-a00d-28d889006123.html
- timesofisrael.com: https://www.timesofisrael.com/far-right-israel-critic-james-fishback-likens-abortion-to-the-holocaust-at-ole-miss-event/