MID-ATLANTIC EDITION

Headlines

House Panel Details Systemic Antisemitism in Philadelphia, Berkeley Schools
NYC Man Indicted for Hate Crime at Kosher Bagel Shop
Vandalism Linked to 'Complicity in Genocide' Claim Targets NYC Banks, Transit

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Transcript

You're listening to Antisemitism Watch: Mid-Atlantic edition, I'm Rachel Adler.
A U.S. House Education and Workforce Committee investigation has uncovered what it describes as systemic antisemitism and radical activism within K-12 schools, according to reporting from The Media Line and Jewish Insider. The committee’s report details findings concerning the School District of Philadelphia, the Berkeley Unified School District, and the National Education Association, or NEA. Chairman Tim Walberg stated that parents send children to school to learn reading, writing, and math, "not to be taught to hate Israel or embrace radical political causes," as detailed by the House Education and Workforce Committee. The investigation found antisemitic materials and anti-Israel activism in K-12 curricula, including lessons in Philadelphia directing students to "honor" resistance movements like the Hamas-endorsed Great March of Return, The Media Line reported. In Berkeley, investigators found an ethnic studies unit that labeled Israel as "Palestine" and included an "ancestor acknowledgment" of Helen Thomas, who had made anti-Jewish remarks, according to The Media Line. The report also examined the NEA, finding internal documents showing a shift away from working with the Anti-Defamation League before delegates voted to cut ties in 2025, and noted the union's financial support for organizations identified by the committee as sources of antisemitic K-12 materials, such as the Zinn Education Project, The Media Line reported. The School District of Philadelphia maintains that its social studies curriculum "does not indoctrinate students," and its school board president stated they "do not agree with the findings in the committee’s report," according to The Inquirer. The district entered into a voluntary settlement with the U.S. Department of Education in 2024 addressing claims of antisemitism, The Inquirer also reported. Separately, a Rutgers center is described as focused on growing a movement rooted in leftist, anti-Israel ideology and has appeared in overlapping coalition efforts with CAIR affiliates, according to reporting reviewed for this episode.
In New York City, a man already facing manslaughter charges has been indicted for a hate crime. The indictment stems from alleged vandalism at a kosher bagel shop, an incident that, according to reporting reviewed for this episode, prompted significant concern from neighborhood residents and the Jewish community.
The Anti-Defamation League reports two incidents of vandalism in New York City linked to anti-Israel activism. A Capital One Bank branch on the Upper East Side was vandalized with graffiti reading "DROP ELBIT," referring to an Israeli defense company, and "PAL ACTION." Palestine Action claimed responsibility for the incident, calling it "the price of complicity in genocide." The ADL notes that Palestine Action was recently sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department. Days prior, an anonymous group destroyed OMNY subway payment readers in Brooklyn, distributing fliers justifying the vandalism by accusing OMNY's developer, Cubic, of having ties to Israel. These fliers stated, "MASS SURVEILLANCE AT HOME, GENOCIDE ABROAD…EVERY TIME YOU TAP, YOU’RE SENDING MONEY TO A WAR PROFITEER." Cubic Corporation has a defense division that has supplied training systems to Israel, the ADL reported.
A man has pleaded guilty to federal charges for vandalizing a Maryland Jewish cemetery with swastikas and other symbols in July 2023, driven by antisemitic animus. George Horn admitted to defacing multiple headstones at the Ohr Knesseth Israel Anshe Sfard Cemetery because it is a Jewish cemetery, according to reporting by Newsweek. Prosecutors stated that evidence showed Horn had "antisemitic animus toward Jewish people," and investigators found items including a journal with references to Nazism and white supremacy, and a video of Horn spray-painting gravestones, along with a copy of Mein Kampf on his phone, Newsweek reported. The incident occurred during a period of alarming increases in antisemitic incidents; the ADL recorded a 140 percent increase in 2023 compared to the previous year. Horn faces a maximum of three years in prison and is scheduled for sentencing on January 14, according to Newsweek.
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:
- timesofisrael.com: https://www.timesofisrael.com/nyc-man-already-charged-with-manslaughter-now-indicted-for-hate-crime-at-kosher-bagel-shop/
- jewishinsider.com: https://jewishinsider.com/2026/10/house-education-committee-investigation-antisemitism-philadelphia-berkeley/
- edworkforce.house.gov: https://edworkforce.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=413825
- campusreform.org: https://www.campusreform.org/article/rutgers-center-focused-growing-movement-rooted-leftist-anti-israel-ideology-analysis/30818
- themedialine.org: https://themedialine.org/headlines/house-probe-finds-antisemitic-anti-israel-materials-in-schools-nations-largest-teachers-union/
- jewishnews.co.uk: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/left-wing-leader-of-largest-education-says-calling-on-schools-to-adopt-ihra-definition-the-wrong-approach/
- inquirer.com: https://www.inquirer.com/education/congressional-committee-education-workforce-antisemitism-report-philadelphia-schools-20261021.html
- ADL: https://www.adl.org/resources/article/two-recent-nyc-incidents-target-companies-doing-business-israel
- blogs.timesofisrael.com: https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/europes-unfinished-lesson/
- newsweek.com: https://www.newsweek.com/hitler-book-owner-pleads-guilty-to-swastika-attack-on-jewish-cemetery-12598885

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