Swastikas painted outside Gravesend yeshiva 

A conference was later held outside Magen David Yeshiva with elected officials 

Swastikas were drawn outside a Gravesend yeshiva hours after Democrat Zohran Mamdami became mayor-elect and both elected officials and local leaders responded to the crime.

Cops said on Nov. 5 at 6:35 a.m., a security guard at Magen David Yeshiva, 2132 McDonald Ave., saw swastikas written in red paint on the pillars and windows in front of the location. 

There were no arrests and police released surveillance images of a suspect seen wearing a fedora, dressed in black, and riding a bicycle.

Community Board 11, which serves the residents of Bath Beach, Bensonhurst, Gravesend and Mapleton, released a statement on the crime.

“We are proud of the diversity of our community, and we will not tolerate or normalize ANY hate or acts of violence based upon race, ethnicity, or religion,” the statement read. “We may not look the same or pray the same, but we are one community. We stand together.”

U.S. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis posted the photos of the vandalism on her social media pages.

“Brooklyn’s Jewish community wakes up to two swastikas at Magen David Yeshiva in Gravesend,” she wrote on X. “While @NYPDHateCrimes investigates, the mayor-elect must unequivocally condemn this hateful graffiti. Time to represent and protect ALL New Yorkers.”

Malliotakis, along with others, has been critical of Mayor-elect Mamdani’s stance on Israel. 

“This is a disgusting and heartbreaking act of antisemitism, and it has no place in our beautiful city,” Mamdani wrote on X. “As Mayor, I will always stand steadfast with our Jewish neighbors to root the scourge of antisemitism out of our city.”

Later that day, a press conference was held by politicians and community leaders in front of Senator Sam Sutton’s Office, 1412 Avenue J.

Along with Sutton, elected officials in attendance included Governor Kathy Hochul, state senators Michael Gianaris and Stephen Chan, assemblymembers Nily Rozic, William Colton, and Michael Novakhov, and Councilmember Susan Zhuang.

“I stand also in solidarity with this community to condemn these horrific acts of violence and to say that we are together,” Hochul said. “We’re also going to find out who did this, and anyone who has information about the perpetrator, to contact our Hate Crimes hotline. Our NYPD is working closely with our State Police who I’ve deployed to assist with this.

“I view what happened today as an act of terrorism, a violation of our safety and our security… When we stand together, we are one community. An attack on one is an attack on all of us, and you will not get away with this.”

Hochul said she will add $20 million to the security of sensitive locations like synagogues and yeshivas in the next budget, which will raise it up to $90 million in total.

She also said there will be $14 million in federal dollars added to help counter terrorism.

“This is what happens when antisemitic rhetoric is tolerated in our politics,” Novakhov said. “It emboldens hate and endangers our neighbors. I’m grateful to all my colleagues who stood strong and united today against antisemitism and for our community. We will always protect our Jewish neighbors — no matter who’s in Gracie Mansion.”

“We are devastated in my community,” said Chan. “We are sad. We are angry that anyone can at a time like this when we want unity for our country, our state and our city. Are we supposed to glorify this hatred? Are we supposed to tolerate this hatred? The answer is no.”

Principal of the yeshiva Rabbi Ezra Cohen-Saban wrote in a letter stating extra security was added on site and will continue to work closely with law enforcement.

“The city and the state must step up their efforts to protect religious schools from such actions by increasing funding for security measures that could serve as important deterrents, so all of our children feel safe when they are in class, and so that their parents feel secure each day when they send them off to school,” said Colton.

“An attack on one community is an attack on all,” said the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York. “Every leader from every level of government across the political spectrum has a responsibility to root this hate out and bring people together. Big thank you to the NYPD for their immediate response and investigation into this vile hate crime.”