The protest outside Park East Synagogue began Wednesday night with chants that quickly drew alarm from Jewish leaders across New York. Demonstrators shouted “death to the IDF,” “globalize the intifada,” and, at several points, “we need to make them scared,” as congregants and visitors attempted to enter the building for an event hosted by Nefesh B’Nefesh. Some protesters hurled direct slurs, including “f**king Jewish pricks,” at people walking into the synagogue’s school entrance. Videos posted online showed activists confronting attendees at close range while labeling them “settlers.”
Organized by the Palestinian Assembly for Liberation, the demonstration targeted an informational session for Jews considering aliyah—immigration to Israel. Nefesh B’Nefesh describes its open houses as opportunities for prospective immigrants to learn about Israeli bureaucracy and life in the country. The group does not assign new immigrants to specific regions, though its materials have showcased communities in Yehuda v’Shomron (Judea and Samaria), which protesters cited in their accusations that Nefesh B’Nefesh “recruits settlers.”
According to police, roughly 200 protesters gathered outside the synagogue. The NYPD maintained a separation between demonstrators and counter-protesters, though officers permitted the anti-Israel activists to remain directly in front of the synagogue’s entrance. No arrests were made. Rabbi Marc Schneier criticized the decision, saying that officers “should have moved the protesters to either Third or Lexington Avenues” due to security concerns.
The rhetoric during the demonstration was more extreme than the language heard at many previous anti-Israel protests in the city. The chant “death to the IDF” had not been documented at earlier rallies, and several protesters shouted accusations of pedophilia and rape at Jewish passersby. One activist repeated the phrase “take another settler out,” which the crowd echoed.
New York Mayor Eric Adams, currently abroad, issued a statement calling the language a “desecration” and warning that the incident signals mounting danger for houses of worship. Comptroller-elect Mark Levine described the intimidation as “reprehensible,” and the Jewish Community Relations Council said the chants constituted a “direct threat to our community’s safety.” UJA-Federation of New York condemned the expressions of “death to the IDF” and “globalize the intifada” as “incitements to violence against Jewish people.”
Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani did not issue a personal public statement. His office responded to press inquiries with a short comment from spokeswoman Dora Pekec. She said Mamdani “has discouraged the language used at last night’s protest,” adding that he believes sacred spaces “should not be used to promote activities in violation of international law.” The statement did not address the antisemitic language reported from the scene or specify what aspect of the Nefesh B’Nefesh event constituted such a violation.
The mayor-elect’s reaction drew scrutiny in part because he has previously defended the protest slogan “globalize the intifada,” later saying he had learned from a rabbi that many Jews hear it as a call to violence. His response to the Park East demonstration stood in contrast to two earlier incidents, when he swiftly condemned graffiti targeting Jews, including a swastika on a Brooklyn yeshiva and the words “F**k Jews” on a sidewalk.
Jewish officials expressed concern that Wednesday’s protest marked an escalation. In addition to the chants, a masked demonstrator led the crowd in a call-and-repeat urging protesters to intimidate Jews attending the synagogue’s event. Activists also posted videos online identifying synagogue-goers as “settlers” and shouting “shame” at them.
This pattern of escalation has been noted since October 2023, following the Hamas attack on Israel. There have been more than 3,000 protests in New York City related to the conflict, some of which included celebrations of the initial assault. Demonstrations in the past year have targeted hospitals, museums, libraries, holiday events, and memorials.
As the city evaluates its response to protest activity at religious sites, Jewish leaders are invoking a biblical framework that speaks not in abstractions but in practical terms about fear, responsibility, and the duty to protect communities under threat. The verse “Yaakov became very frightened and distressed” (Genesis 32:8) has traditionally been understood by the Sages as describing both physical danger and societal pressure. That dual concern—risk on the ground and the sense of abandonment when threats are minimized—was cited by several rabbis in describing reactions within their congregations on Thursday.
Investigations into Wednesday night’s protest are ongoing, and Jewish organizations say they are in contact with law enforcement. For now, Park East Synagogue has increased security, and city officials are assessing how to prevent similar confrontations. Jewish leaders emphasized that no one entering or leaving a house of worship should be subjected to intimidation, regardless of the political climate or the subject of an event held inside.
