Headlines

NYC Stabbing Investigated as Antisemitic Hate Crime
UK Adopts School Antisemitism Measures Amid Union Concerns
Novelist Accused of Holocaust Denial and Antisemitic Tropes

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Transcript

You're listening to Antisemitism Watch, I'm Rachel Adler. Today, we're tracking serious incidents of hate, policy debates in education, and troubling rhetoric. Before we begin, a reminder about our expanded coverage: Antisemitism Watch: Mid-Atlantic, focusing on New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and the Philadelphia region, is now available at clockwork media dot org slash M A.

In New York City, authorities are investigating a disturbing incident in Manhattan's Diamond District as an antisemitic hate crime. The New York Daily News reported that a 26-year-old man wearing traditional Hasidic garb was stabbed in the back with a syringe by a stranger on Wednesday evening. Police told the Daily News the attack occurred on West 47th Street, and the victim was taken to Bellevue Hospital. The New York Police Department’s Hate Crime Task Force is investigating, according to the Daily News, and the perpetrator has not been apprehended. The Jewish Chronicle also reported on the NYPD probing the incident as a hate crime. PJ Media noted that the attack occurred amidst concerns of rising antisemitism in the city.

Meanwhile, in Utah, federal authorities are pursuing charges related to a plot targeting a synagogue. Just The News reports that Skyler AJ Rose, 22, of Ogden, Utah, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges including attempted hate crime and threats against a synagogue. According to court documents cited by Just The News, investigators traced online threats, including the statement 'I wanna blow up a synagogue,' back to Rose's home. A Department of Justice media advisory also confirmed the indictment for hate crime and other offenses following alleged online threats. Just The News reported that a search warrant executed by authorities recovered six improvised explosive pipe bombs and components.

In education, a report by the House Committee on Education and the Workforce has detailed what it calls 'widespread antisemitism and political activism' within American K-12 public schools and teachers' unions, according to The Jerusalem Post. The committee's investigation focused on districts including Philadelphia, alleging its social studies curriculum promoted an ideology justifying violent resistance and legitimized radical groups that incite antisemitism. Chalkbeat reports that the School District of Philadelphia plans to overhaul its social studies curriculum, partnering with national experts, with new materials expected by the 2027-28 school year. A district spokesperson told Chalkbeat that the committee’s report 'distorts and mischaracterizes our record.' The committee's report, as detailed by The Jerusalem Post, also investigated the National Education Association.

Across the Atlantic, the UK government has adopted sweeping measures to combat antisemitism in English schools, following a government-commissioned review that found three in five Jewish students reported experiencing antisemitism. JTA reports that the government accepted recommendations including dedicated antisemitism training and improved recording of incidents. The government will also encourage schools to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, or IHRA, working definition of antisemitism. However, the National Education Union, the UK's largest teachers' union, has raised concerns. JTA and jweekly.com report that the NEU stated the IHRA definition risks blurring the line between antisemitism and legitimate criticism of the Israeli government.

Separately, in the U.S., reporting from the News Observer indicates that policies at the University of North Carolina are being shaped to ensure Jewish students feel safe on campus.

The Anti-Defamation League, or ADL, has accused novelist Susan Abulhawa of spreading explicit antisemitism and Holocaust denial. According to the ADL, Abulhawa has used her platform to propagate tropes of Jewish control and bloodthirst. The ADL also states she has made references to lampshades and soap in relation to Holocaust victims, and questioned the authenticity of Holocaust survivors' concentration camp tattoos.

In rhetoric related to Israel, official Palestinian Authority TV broadcasted content that lauded Haj Amin Al-Husseini, a 20th-century Palestinian leader and Nazi collaborator, as a symbol of Palestinian struggle. Algemeiner reports that the PA TV narrative described Al-Husseini’s time in Germany during World War II as finding 'refuge,' and highlighted his efforts to gain Hitler’s support. Algemeiner detailed Al-Husseini's active collaboration with the Nazi regime, including broadcasting calls to kill Jews on Nazi radio.

In terms of accountability, Israeli actress Sarai Givaty has filed a defamation lawsuit against United Nations special rapporteur Francesca Albanese. Algemeiner reports that Givaty alleges Albanese twisted her interview remarks and compared them to Nazi officials' justifications for killing children during the Holocaust, a post on X which Algemeiner states led to online abuse and death threats against Givaty. The Department of Justice has also confirmed the federal indictment of Skyler AJ Rose for making online threats against a synagogue, which led to the discovery of pipe bombs, as reported by the DOJ and referenced by Just The News.

That's our report for today. I'm Rachel Adler, thank you for listening to Antisemitism Watch.

For focused coverage from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and the Philadelphia region, listen to Antisemitism Watch: Mid-Atlantic at clockwork media dot org slash M A.

Follow Antisemitism Watch in your podcast app so you don’t miss the next update.
This report was generated with AI assistance and may contain inaccuracies. Please verify important details with primary sources.

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Sources:
- nydailynews.com: https://www.nydailynews.com/2026/10/22/man-stabbed-in-back-with-syringe-on-manhattan-street-in-anti-semitic-hate-crime/
- jewishchronicle.timesofisrael.com: https://jewishchronicle.timesofisrael.com/nypd-probing-stabbing-of-jewish-man-in-diamond-district-as-hate-crime/
- pjmedia.com: https://pjmedia.com/catherinesalgado/2026/10/22/new-york-woman-stalks-and-stabs-jewish-man-n4958566
- justthenews.com: https://justthenews.com/nation/extremism/fbi-alleges-teen-plotted-assassination-texas-congressman-terrorist-attack-behalf
- justthenews.com: https://justthenews.com/nation/crime/utah-man-charged-attempted-hate-crime-after-allegedly-threatening-blow-synagogue
- chalkbeat.org: https://www.chalkbeat.org/philadelphia/2026/10/22/district-revamps-social-studies-curriculum-amid-congress-antisemitism-probe/
- jpost.com: https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-912596
- newsobserver.com: https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/education/article317704112.html
- newarab.com: https://www.newarab.com/news/uk-teachers-union-slams-ihra-definition-push-schools
- thedispatch.com: https://thedispatch.com/newsletter/boilingfrogs/vivek-ramaswamy-ohio-governor-ad-amy-acton/
- JTA: https://www.jta.org/2026/10/22/ny/bronx-officials-blast-anti-zionist-groups-planned-protest-in-riverdale
- Algemeiner: https://www.algemeiner.com/2026/10/22/palestinian-authority-boasts-hitler-palestinian-ally-while-branding-israel-nazi/
- JTA: https://www.jta.org/2026/10/22/global/uk-adopts-sweeping-measures-against-antisemitism-in-schools
- jweekly.com: https://jweekly.com/2026/10/22/uk-adopts-sweeping-measures-against-antisemitism-in-schools/
- abc7ny.com: https://abc7ny.com/post/horse-carriage-drivers-protest-ahead-nyc-council-vote/19968037/
- ejewishphilanthropy.com: https://ejewishphilanthropy.com/one-year-later-are-we-getting-smarter-about-antisemitism/
- timesofisrael.com: https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/utah-man-found-with-bombs-charged-with-threat-to-blow-up-synagogue/
- sfi.usc.edu: https://sfi.usc.edu/news/2026/10/38171-preserving-holocaust-testimonies-risk-being-lost
- ADL: https://www.adl.org/resources/article/susan-abulhawa-what-you-need-know
- Algemeiner: https://www.algemeiner.com/2026/10/22/israeli-actress-sues-un-adviser-francesca-albanese-nazi-comparison/
- justice.gov: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ut/pr/media-advisory