MID-ATLANTIC EDITION

Headlines

Rabbi Stabbed in Manhattan Diamond District; Hate Crime Probe Underway
Philly Schools Scrutinized Over CAIR Ties, Curriculum Influence
NY AG Candidate Pledges Emergency Action on Antisemitism

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Transcript

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

We begin today with a disturbing physical assault in the heart of New York City. A 26-year-old Chabad rabbi, identified as Yosef, returned to his religious outreach work in Manhattan’s Diamond District on Thursday, less than 24 hours after being stabbed in the back, according to reporting by The Algemeiner. The New York Police Department’s Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating the stabbing as a possible antisemitic attack, as reported by CBS News and FOX 5 NY.

Investigators believe Yosef was approached by an unidentified woman on West 47th Street just before 6 p.m. Wednesday. The victim told investigators the woman was speaking Russian and making harassing remarks before she allegedly stabbed him with what authorities believe may have been a large syringe, according to CBS News. Surveillance footage reportedly shows the woman pursuing Yosef, who was wearing attire typical of the Hasidic community, before the attack, according to the Manhattan Shomrim Safety Patrol, which provided video to FOX 5 NY. The victim was transported to Bellevue Hospital in stable condition.

He told Chabad.org, as reported by The Algemeiner, that despite being rattled, he drew strength from his Holocaust survivor grandparents and is determined to respond to violence by embracing his Jewish identity. The New York Post notes that Yosef’s attacker has yet to be identified or arrested. The Algemeiner also highlighted that this incident occurs amid an alarming surge in antisemitic incidents across New York City, with Jews targeted in more than half of all confirmed hate crimes in the city during the first six months of 2026.

In Philadelphia, concerns have been raised regarding the potential influence of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR, on K-12 education within the School District of Philadelphia. Superintendent Tony Watlington told the House Education and the Workforce Committee that he found the individuals representing CAIR to be 'authentically interested' in supporting district students, according to reporting by JNS.org. However, a report released by the George Washington University Program on Extremism describes CAIR as a 'highly problematic organization,' noting its history, including being an unindicted co-conspirator in the Holy Land Foundation terror financing trial, JNS.org reported. The GWU report details CAIR's efforts to influence K-12 education, including materials that accuse Israel of being an 'apartheid state' and engaging in 'war crimes,' and frame 'Zionism is racism,' according to JNS.org. The report also noted the Biden administration had removed CAIR from its strategy to combat Jew-hatred, JNS.org stated. Monique Braxton, a spokeswoman for the School District of Philadelphia, referred JNS.org to a statement asserting the committee’s report 'distorts and mischaracterizes our record' and that the district has taken steps to combat hate. CAMERA's report, 'Shaping Minds,' has also addressed antisemitism within the School District of Philadelphia, according to CAMERA.org.

Turning to politics, Republican candidate Saritha Komatireddy vowed to declare a state of emergency on antisemitism on her first day in office as New York Attorney General. Speaking from the site of the recent Diamond District stabbing, Komatireddy cited the incident and NYPD statistics indicating that Jewish New Yorkers face over 50% of confirmed hate crimes despite making up only about 10-12% of the city’s population, according to The New York Post. JNS.org reports Komatireddy criticized incumbent Attorney General Letitia James, arguing that the AG’s office should directly prosecute hate crimes when local district attorneys are ineffective. The New York Post also quotes Rabbi Daniel Schonbuch, who was present at the press conference, comparing the state of antisemitism in the city to '1935 in Germany.'

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:
- Algemeiner: https://www.algemeiner.com/2026/10/23/well-never-back-down-chabad-rabbi-returns-nyc-diamond-district-day-after-antisemitic-stabbing/
- fox5ny.com: https://www.fox5ny.com/news/jewish-man-stabbed-47th-street-manhattan-hate-crime-investigation.amp
- fox5ny.com: https://www.fox5ny.com/video/fmc-xq60eyxcs4071iap
- cbsnews.com: https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/woman-stabs-man-midtown-manhattan-nypd/
- pix11.com: https://pix11.com/news/morning/jewish-man-stalked-and-stabbed-in-manhattan-nypd/
- blogs.timesofisrael.com: https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/tell-the-truth/
- jns.org: https://www.jns.org/news/u-s-news/cair-which-blamed-israel-for-oct-7-authentically-interested-in-helping-students-philadelphia-superintendent-tells-house-panel
- camera.org: https://www.camera.org/article/press-release-congress-investigates-school-antisemitism-citing-camera-research/
- stockton.edu: https://stockton.edu/news/2026/auschwitz-fellowship.html
- nypost.com: https://nypost.com/2026/10/23/us-news/tish-james-gop-ag-rival-vows-to-declare-nyc-antisemitism-state-of-emergency/
- jns.org: https://www.jns.org/news/u-s-news/i-will-declare-a-state-of-emergency-on-antisemitism-gop-nominee-for-new-york-attorney-general-says
- jewishchronicle.timesofisrael.com: https://jewishchronicle.timesofisrael.com/i-wanna-blow-up-a-synagogue-online-posts-lead-to-hate-crime-charge-against-utah-man/
- fox5ny.com: https://www.fox5ny.com/video/fmc-qhbbo49vgtavz2q3

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