Latest / Antisemitism Watch / Antisemitism Watch - October 2, 2026, 09 AM Eastern

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Antisemitism Watch - October 2, 2026, 09 AM Eastern · Antisemitism Watch

• 0:06
  Speaker 1: You're listening to Antisemitism Watch. I'm Rachel Adler. We begin
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  Speaker 1: with a disturbing incident of alleged antisemitic vandalism and threats
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  Speaker 1: in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Police have charged Joshua Albert Reisinger, 37,
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  Speaker 1: with crimes including ethnic intimidation and terroristic threats. According to LancasterOnline.com,
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  Speaker 1: Reisinger is accused of posting derogatory and antisemitic signs, including
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  Speaker 1: a Nazi SS symbol on the property of Dijel Israel
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  Speaker 1: Congregation on September 19th and 20th. The report also states
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  Speaker 1: that Reisinger allegedly imitated a pistol with his fingers and
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  Speaker 1: pointed it at a congregant, motioning as if to shoot.
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  Speaker 1: Reisinger was also identified by police with the help of
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  Speaker 1: other agencies investigating him for similar incidents involving unusual objects
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  Speaker 1: left at Masonic Halls in Millersville and Steelton. Moving to Canada,
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  Speaker 1: a significant legal challenge is unfolding in Ontario. Twelve Jewish teachers,
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  Speaker 1: alongside one retired teacher, have filed applications with the Ontario
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  Speaker 1: Human Rights Tribunal against four school boards and three teachers' unions.
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  Speaker 1: As reported by theglobeandmail.com, they allege widespread discrimination and a
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  Speaker 1: failure by institutions to act on numerous anti-Semitic incidents. These
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  Speaker 1: incidents include students drawing swastikas, playing games about Hitler, and
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  Speaker 1: the repeated removal of a Star of David from a
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  Speaker 1: school bulletin board. Catherine Marshall, the lawyer representing the group,
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  Speaker 1: stated that the objective is to get accountability and institutional change.
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  Speaker 1: The teachers are seeking $ 150, 000 each in damages. The school
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  Speaker 1: boards and unions involved are expected to provide responses to
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  Speaker 1: the tribunal. In France, allegations of anti-Semitism against a prominent
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  Speaker 1: far-right political figure have resurfaced. According to reporting from the
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  Speaker 1: Financial Times, France 24, and the Times of Israel, an
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  Speaker 1: investigative outlet has reportedly deepened antisemitism claims against Jordan Bardella,
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  Speaker 1: a leading figure in the French far-right. Reports describe remarks
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  Speaker 1: attributed to Bardella as obviously and scandalously antisemitic, drawing renewed
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  Speaker 1: attention to antisemitism within the political sphere in France. French
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  Speaker 1: investigative journalism has published evidence to support these claims, making
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  Speaker 1: the allegations notable. In New York City, Mayor Zoran Mamdani
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  Speaker 1: has released a 33-page plan aimed at combating antisemitism, as
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  Speaker 1: covered by ny1. com. The plan includes proposals for increased funding
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  Speaker 1: for synagogue security, public awareness campaigns, and museum trips. However,
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  Speaker 1: the blueprint has drawn criticism from some Jewish groups. These
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  Speaker 1: groups reportedly desired a concrete definition of antisemitism within the
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  Speaker 1: plan and noted its omission of issues surrounding Israel-related protests.
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  Speaker 1: This development highlights ongoing debates about effective institutional responses and
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  Speaker 1: the scope of what should be addressed. Across the Atlantic,
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  Speaker 1: concerns for Jewish community security remain paramount. In Manchester, UK,
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  Speaker 1: following an attack on a synagogue on a holy day,
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  Speaker 1: a synagogue member described the Jewish community as broken, according
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  Speaker 1: to ManchesterReveningNews.co.uk. The Greater Manchester Police Chief vowed to exercise
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  Speaker 1: every sinew to protect them, noting that the Jewish community
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  Speaker 1: faces a unique threat not shared by others, as reported
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  Speaker 1: by telegraph.co.uk. Meanwhile, in Belleville, Ontario, Canada, synagogues are reportedly
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  Speaker 1: facing significant security threats from bigots, compounded by what one
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  Speaker 1: article in nationalpost.com describes as roadblocks to safety from intrusive
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  Speaker 1: government officials, raising complex issues for communal self-protection. In Pennsylvania,
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  Speaker 1: Lawmakers have been examining the roots of antisemitism in education.
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  Speaker 1: As reported by jpost.com, members of the Pennsylvania Senate Majority
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  Speaker 1: Policy Committee drew upon extensive research from Camera for a
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  Speaker 1: public hearing. Camera's 81-page investigation, Shaping Minds, Spreading Hate, How
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  Speaker 1: Antisemitism Took Root in the School District of Philadelphia, examined
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  Speaker 1: how instructional materials and school policies can foster hostile environments
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  Speaker 1: for Jewish students. Rebecca Scalise of Camera's, KTHO 12 program
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  Speaker 1: stated that the report detailed how the district's curriculum used
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  Speaker 1: an oppressor slash oppressed binary lens that cast Jews and
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  Speaker 1: Israel as oppressors, prioritizing ideology over historical literacy. The investigation
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  Speaker 1: was initiated after parents raised concerns about lesson plans from
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  Speaker 1: the Zin Education Project. In the entertainment world, a public
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  Speaker 1: debate has emerged over rhetoric concerning the conflict in Gaza.
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  Speaker 1: Rabbi Steve Ledder, former senior rabbi of Wilshire Boulevard Temple
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  Speaker 1: in Lowe's Angels, publicly denounced actor Adam Brody's recent comments
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  Speaker 1: describing Israel's actions in Gaza as a genocide. According to jpost.com,
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  Speaker 1: rabbi Leder called Brody an ignorant Jew, stating, If you're
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  Speaker 1: going to use a word like genocide, you ought to
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  Speaker 1: know what it means. Brody had previously described his Jewish
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  Speaker 1: education as limited. The article notes that Israel's actions have
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  Speaker 1: divided the entertainment industry and Jewish stars, with accusations of
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  Speaker 1: genocide heavily disputed by Israel, though some international bodies and
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  Speaker 1: human rights groups have made findings consistent with such allegations. Finally,
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  Speaker 1: concerning case outcomes, Siliv.com reports on a defendant in Staten
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  Speaker 1: Island who allegedly threatened his neighbors during an anti-Semitic tirade.
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  Speaker 1: The report notes the defendant has a history of unusual
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  Speaker 1: and criminal behavior. The excerpt provided does not detail the
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  Speaker 1: specific outcome of this case. I'm Rachel Adler, Thank you
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  Speaker 1: for listening to Antisemitism Watch. Follow Antisemitism Watch in your
• 6:00
  Speaker 1: podcast app so you don't miss the next update. This
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  Speaker 1: report was generated with AI assistance and may contain inaccuracies.
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  Speaker 1: Please verify important details with primary sources.