Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch assured Jewish institutions in New York City that they will have support against increasing antisemitism. Her remarks at Central Synagogue on Friday came a week after a violent, hate-driven attack on the congregation.
Tisch, who spent her childhood attending the synagogue on Lexington Avenue and East 55th Street, promised ongoing police support for Jewish residents. Many of them had witnessed 46-year-old Larry Montes commit a horrific antisemitic attack during Shabbat the previous week.
“What happened here is unacceptable anywhere in this city. No New Yorker should be assaulted or threatened because of who they are or how they worship,” Tisch addressed the full congregation.
Describing the attack as a “message written in violence,” the commissioner emphasized that while the physical harm impacts one individual, the intent is to instill fear within the entire community. “It is meant to tell everyone who shares the victim’s identity that they do not belong, that they are vulnerable, that they should be afraid,” she stated.
Tisch highlighted the impact on the Jewish community, noting that Jewish New Yorkers have consistently made up around half of the city’s confirmed hate crime victims while constituting roughly 10% of the population.
By August, hate crimes against Jewish New Yorkers had risen by 8.5% this year, with a notable 53.3% increase in antisemitic hate crimes from July 2025 to July 2026.
“We know that violence can inspire more violence. Every high-profile attack raises the risk of another,” Tisch remarked, adding that individuals on the edge might only need a spark to act.
She explained the importance of taking threats seriously and intervening before hate turns into violence. The NYPD is dedicated to acting against antisemitic hate crimes with precinct commanders and community affairs officers collaborating with synagogues and yeshivas to ensure safety.
According to Tisch, the NYPD’s Intelligence and Counterterrorism Bureau vigorously addresses potential threats and allocates resources as needed.
She reaffirmed that Jewish institutions will not need to defend themselves alone and that Jewish families should not accept fear as a condition of practicing their faith.
Tisch, as a “proud Jew” and lifelong Central Synagogue member, pledged her support during these challenging times. “You have my word that I stand with you in these uncertain, precarious times,” she assured.
“As Police Commissioner, you have my word that behind that commitment stand 35,000 members of the NYPD willing to risk their own lives for people they have never met, supported by the most robust municipal counterterrorism capacity in the world and a Hate Crimes Task Force that is second to none,” she promised.Â
“For me, that commitment is professional,” Tisch added.
“Here at Central, it is also deeply personal.”
