Latest / Antisemitism Watch / Antisemitism Watch - September 9, 2026, 01 PM Eastern

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Antisemitism Watch - September 9, 2026, 01 PM Eastern · Antisemitism Watch

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  Speaker 1: You're listening to Antisemitism Watch, I'm Rachel Adler. This week,
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  Speaker 1: we're tracking legal accountability, institutional reform, and community concerns as
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  Speaker 1: the High Holy Days approach. We begin with a significant
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  Speaker 1: development out of Manhattan, where District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced
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  Speaker 1: on September 9, 2026, a hate crime indictment against an
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  Speaker 1: individual for antisemitic and anti-black attacks that occurred at Central Synagogue.
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  Speaker 1: This indictment marks a key step toward accountability for targeted violence.
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  Speaker 1: In educational settings, the Boulder Valley School District in Colorado
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  Speaker 1: has reached a settlement with the ADL and a family,
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  Speaker 1: agreeing to implement comprehensive, district-wide reforms. This follows a federal
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  Speaker 1: civil rights complaint alleging the district failed to protect an
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  Speaker 1: eighth-grade Jewish student from repeated anti-Semitic bullying and assault. The settlement,
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  Speaker 1: secured through the U.S., Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights,
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  Speaker 1: includes updating policies, enhancing reporting, providing antisemitism training, and delivering
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  Speaker 1: educational programming. ADL stated the measures will make schools safer
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  Speaker 1: for Jewish students. Separately, major Jewish organizations including AJC, Jewish
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  Speaker 1: Federations of North America, ADL, COP, and Stand With Us
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  Speaker 1: have released a Jewish Students' Bill of Rights for K-12 schools.
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  Speaker 1: This initiative addresses persistent antisemitism in these institutions. where incidents
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  Speaker 1: have not declined according to recent data, offering a roadmap
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  Speaker 1: for schools to ensure Jewish students can learn without fear.
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  Speaker 1: In other campus news, the ADL welcomed the creation of
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  Speaker 1: the bipartisan combating antisemitism on college campuses caucus. As the
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  Speaker 1: High Holy Days approach, rabbis across the United States report
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  Speaker 1: deep unease within their congregations. They cite a significant upsurge
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  Speaker 1: of antisemitic and anti-Israel sentiment, describing it as the worst
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  Speaker 1: uptick of antisemitism they've seen in their lifetime, contributing to
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  Speaker 1: a pervasive sense of vulnerability. In response, the Secure Community
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  Speaker 1: Network is providing enhanced security webinars and training. This heightened
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  Speaker 1: concern is mirrored in Toronto, where the police service is
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  Speaker 1: increasing security measures, deploying officers and counterterrorism units to Jewish neighborhoods,
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  Speaker 1: community centers, and synagogues during the holidays. Rabbis note that
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  Speaker 1: even as external threats rise, internal community divisions over Israel's
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  Speaker 1: policies are also a source of concern. On the political
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  Speaker 1: and rhetorical front, over 5,000 leaders from entertainment, academia, and
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  Speaker 1: public life have signed an open letter rejecting the accusation
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  Speaker 1: that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. The signatories warn
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  Speaker 1: that this charge is a dangerous vehicle for scapegoating Jews
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  Speaker 1: and fueling antisemitism globally. noting a surge in anti-Semitic incidents worldwide.
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  Speaker 1: In entertainment, rapper Macklemore faced significant backlash for calling for
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  Speaker 1: free Palestine and accusing Israel of genocide during a concert,
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  Speaker 1: though he stated his criticism was not directed at Jewish people.
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  Speaker 1: The Israeli-American Council accused him of spreading anti-Semitic propaganda. Meanwhile,
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  Speaker 1: Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders declared that boycotting Israel is anti-Semitic,
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  Speaker 1: a stance echoed by bipartisan legislation in the US, House
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  Speaker 1: of Representatives that would penalize academic institutions involved in BDS.
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  Speaker 1: In the UK, politician Margaret Hodge, reflecting on her memoir,
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  Speaker 1: discussed her past efforts in tackling antisemitism, including within the
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  Speaker 1: Labour Party. Turning to specific incidents, the NYPD Hate Crimes
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  Speaker 1: Task Force is investigating antisemitic graffiti, including a swastika and
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  Speaker 1: anti-Jewish rhetoric. discovered at a bus stop in Kew Gardens
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  Speaker 1: last month. Separately, in Lower Manhattan on May 7, 2026,
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  Speaker 1: police are investigating an incident where a suspect slapped a
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  Speaker 1: man's yarmulke, causing it to fall, before fleeing the scene.
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  Speaker 1: The incident is being treated as aggravated harassment as a
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  Speaker 1: hate crime. In British policy, Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband announced
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  Speaker 1: measures targeting Israeli settlements in the West Bank, including sanctions
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  Speaker 1: and import bans. He also dedicated significant government resources to
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  Speaker 1: combating antisemitism, announcing an additional £ 250 million for security for
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  Speaker 1: Jewish communities, and that Britain would host a J7 meeting
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  Speaker 1: in October focused on combating antisemitism. Miliband emphasized that criticism
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  Speaker 1: of Israel should not be confused with targeting British Jews.
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  Speaker 1: That's all for this edition of Antisemitism Watch. I'm Rachel Adler,
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  Speaker 1: thank you for listening. Follow Antisemitism Watch in your podcast
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  Speaker 1: app so you don't miss the next update. This report
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  Speaker 1: was generated with AI assistance and may contain inaccuracies. Please
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  Speaker 1: verify important details with primary sources. Music