In a troubling incident in Brooklyn, red swastikas were found painted on the exterior of the Magen David Yeshiva in the Gravesend neighborhood early Wednesday morning—just hours after Zohran Mamdani was elected mayor of New York City.
Security staff at the school discovered the hate symbols around 6:30 a.m. and reported them to the police. According to officials, a lone suspect dressed entirely in black was seen fleeing on foot and had not been apprehended at the time of the report.
The timing of the vandalism has drawn widespread condemnation. Republican Representatives and local leaders called on the mayor-elect to unequivocally condemn the act and urged heightened protection for the Jewish community in the city.
Jewish advocacy groups expressed alarm that this act may signal a broader trend of hostility. One organization’s statement warned: “Tonight the quiet normalization of antisemitism just got very loud.”
The mayor-elect responded, calling the incident a “shocking and upsetting act of antisemitism” which “has no place in our beautiful city.” He pledged to stand firmly with Jewish citizens as mayor.
The case is currently under investigation by the city’s hate-crimes unit. Many are watching closely to see how the incoming administration and law-enforcement agencies respond, and whether the Jewish community’s concerns about safety and representation will be addressed.
