NYPD boosts security for Jewish High Holy Days and 9/11 anniversary
New York City officials announced increased police presence around synagogues and other Jewish sites ahead of the High Holy Days and the 25th anniversary of 9/11, citing rising antisemitic hate crimes despite no specific credible threats.
New York City is deploying additional police officers across the five boroughs ahead of the Jewish High Holy Days and the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, with officials urging the public to avoid lower Manhattan on Friday as world leaders gather at Ground Zero.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani and NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch outlined the security plan during a press conference Wednesday, confirming that Vice President JD Vance is expected to attend the 9/11 commemoration. Street closures around the World Trade Center site will be in effect, and Mamdani advised residents and visitors to plan alternate routes through the area.
Speaking directly to Jewish New Yorkers, Mamdani said the administration is committed to ensuring safe observance of the upcoming holidays. «There will be an increased NYPD presence outside of synagogues across the five boroughs, as well as other Jewish religious and cultural locations,» he said. The mayor noted that while there are no specific or credible threats against any New Yorkers at this time, the city remains vigilant.
Tisch reinforced that message, stating that intelligence units have found no credible threats directed at High Holy Day celebrations. However, she highlighted troubling statistics showing hate crimes are rising even as overall violent crime declines. «Confirmed hate crimes citywide are up 16%, and antisemitic hate crimes are up 9%,» Tisch said. «And once again, more than half of all confirmed hate crimes in New York City have targeted Jewish New Yorkers, even though Jews make up only about 10% of this city's population.»
The commissioner pointed to recent incidents, including the July stabbing of Moshe Grunhaus, a 50-year-old Jewish man wearing a kippah who was attacked with a screwdriver outside The Jewish Center on Manhattan's Upper West Side. She also revealed that intelligence officers have disrupted multiple planned attacks on Jewish institutions in recent years.
«Since October 7th, our intelligence community has also tracked threats and disrupted plots directed at Jewish institutions here in New York, including alleged plans for attacks against a Manhattan synagogue and a Jewish center in Brooklyn,» Tisch said. She assured Jewish residents that the NYPD stands ready to protect them throughout the year, not just during the holidays.
The security briefing comes amid a broader national conversation about antisemitism and public safety. Hate crime data from the NYPD shows that Jewish New Yorkers remain the most frequent targets of bias-motivated incidents in the city, a trend that has persisted since the October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza.
City officials did not provide specific details about the number of officers being deployed or the exact scope of street closures, but they emphasized that the measures are designed to ensure both the 9/11 memorial events and religious observances proceed without incident. The High Holy Days begin with Rosh Hashanah at sundown on October 2 and conclude with Yom Kippur on October 11.
Mamdani expressed sympathy for Jewish New Yorkers who have faced an uptick in antisemitic incidents in recent years. «Your safety during these sacred days is of the utmost importance to our administration, and we will work tirelessly to ensure that you can observe the holiday securely,» he said.
