Mayor Adams Launches NYC’s First Citywide Antisemitism Task Force Amid Record Anti-Jewish Crime

In response to a continued spike in antisemitic incidents, New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Monday introduced a dedicated Office to Combat Antisemitism; the first of its kind in a major U.S. city.

The newly established Office will operate under the mayor’s authority. According to City Hall, the office will oversee a multi-agency task force charged with fighting antisemitism across city institutions. Its duties include tracking related court cases, advising on executive and legislative policy, and coordinating with the city’s legal department.

The office also has the power to enforce bans on antisemitism in agencies that receive city funding. Adams referenced past controversies, such as a Department of Education office distributing materials with antisemitic content, and a parks office booking an artist known for anti-Israel rhetoric. That performance was canceled following pressure from the mayor’s office.

Moshe Davis, a longtime Jewish liaison for Adams, has been appointed to lead the new bureau. His first action will be creating a commission of Jewish leaders to provide guidance. Davis will report directly to First Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro.

“This office will be a sledgehammer: deliberate, coordinated and unapologetic,” Davis said Tuesday. “We’re all in the same boat. This isn’t a Jewish issue, this is a New York issue.”

The mayor’s office pointed to recent statistics to justify the initiative. In 2024, 54% of hate crimes in the city were directed at Jews, a figure that rose to 62% in the first quarter of 2025. Jews comprise approximately 10% of the city’s population.

“This moment calls for decisive action,” said Adams. “Antisemitism is an attack not only on Jewish New Yorkers, but on the very idea of New York City as a place where people from all backgrounds can live together.”

Adams made the announcement at City Hall alongside community leaders from across the Jewish spectrum, including representatives of the Anti-Defamation League, the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, and UJA-Federation of New York.

Known for his strong ties to Jewish communities, especially in Brooklyn, Adams stood beside community activist Devorah Halberstam, whose son Ari Hy”d was killed in a 1994 antisemitic attack.

Adams is facing a tough reelection campaign, amid investigations into alleged corruption and associations with the Trump administration. He is running as an independent, and is challenged chiefly by Democratic frontrunner Andrew Cuomo, who has also focused on Jewish voter outreach.

In 2023, Adams launched the Jewish Advisory Council to improve Jewish life in the city. His “Breaking Bread, Building Bonds” program seeks to combat broader hate through community engagement.

While the federal government under the Trump administration also formed an antisemitism task force in February, Adams said the city-level initiative will complement existing efforts, including the Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes opened in 2019 under his predecessor, Bill de Blasio.

Unlike previous initiatives, the new office is also tasked with overseeing internal city agency conduct.

“There are many rivers that feed the sea of antisemitism,” Adams said, referencing inflammatory rhetoric in educational institutions. “We have to proactively monitor what is leaving our agencies. We cannot be the feeder of hate.”

That broader mandate may raise tensions over defining the line between antisemitism and anti-Israel speech. New York has seen hundreds of anti-Israel protests since October 7, many occurring in Jewish neighborhoods. While defending protest rights, Adams expressed caution.

“You have a right to free speech and you have a right to have your opinion,” he said. “We want to make sure that free speech does not cross the line into hate.”

Davis did not specify whether the new office will adopt the IHRA definition of antisemitism, which includes delegitimization of Israel. He stated that more information will be shared in the coming weeks.

Adams clarified his position on anti-Zionism being antisemitic.

“If you’re saying, ‘Eradicate Israel, destroy Israel,’ I mean, who lives in Israel?” Adams said. “If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, call it a duck.”

Adams has reportedly filed to run under an “EndAntiSemitism” ballot line.