In February, New York City saw a distressing surge in anti-Semitic violence, with four attacks against Jewish individuals occurring within just three days.
On February 8, an 11-year-old Jewish girl was pulled by the hair and dragged to the ground by an assailant, highlighting a troubling trend of increasing aggression against the community.
That same day, two men were targeted in Crown Heights—one was nearly stabbed, while the other was shoved, marking a pattern of violence in a neighborhood that has experienced multiple assaults.
These incidents come amid a broader climate of fear that has gripped New York’s Jewish population, with a series of alarming events reported since 2020.
Notable cases include a Jewish man being beaten with a crutch in Midtown, terrifying arson threats made against children in a Brooklyn religious school, and a thwarted plot involving poisoned sweets intended for Jewish children.
In light of these assaults, there is an urgent need for New York to strengthen its protective measures for Jewish residents.
One noteworthy response to this crisis is the work of the Community Security Initiative (CSI), a private task force that has taken significant steps to monitor anti-Semitic threats and counter potential attackers.
Founded in 2019 through a collaboration between the United Jewish Appeal-Federation of New York and the Jewish Community Relations Council, CSI has established itself as a formidable force against anti-Semitic violence.
The initiative collaborates closely with law enforcement agencies, including the NYPD, local New York State police departments, and occasionally the FBI, to effectively track and address threats in the metro area.
Led by Mitch Silber, a former director of intelligence analysis at the NYPD, the CSI operates with a team of experts, including past Shin Bet officers and CIA analysts, who specialize in safeguarding the Jewish community.
CSI is proactive in its approach, actively tracking and disrupting anti-Semitic activities. In 2024 alone, the initiative identified 221 direct threats to the safety of Jewish New Yorkers.
Earlier this year, CSI reported a particularly alarming threat against Manhattan’s Central Synagogue, made by an individual from Utah who had pledged to kill Jews, claiming they had harmed him in a past life.
Responding promptly, CSI referred the threat to the NYPD Intelligence and Counterterrorism Bureau, leading to the apprehension of the suspect in the Lincoln Tunnel before he could reach Manhattan.
Silber offers a profound understanding of the threats facing American Jews, pinpointing a troubling trend of “homegrown threats”—individuals radicalized through social media.
He estimates that about 60 percent of violent anti-Semitic threats are from far-right extremists, while approximately 40 percent originate from Islamist radicals.
Despite the online presence of far-right extremists, Silber emphasizes that Islamist extremists represent a more immediate risk to the Jewish community in New York.
Interestingly, he notes a disturbing overlap between these two violent groups: some white supremacists have been observed expressing pro-Hamas sentiments online.
The escalation of anti-Semitic threats, which continues to grow in both frequency and severity, not only in New York but throughout the United States, necessitates the establishment of proactive programs like CSI.
Silber’s operational model, which focuses on law enforcement cooperation, could serve as an effective blueprint for other communities facing similar challenges.
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