Student Threatens Violence Against Jews in Email

A 17-year-old student from New York has been accused of sending a disturbing email threatening to kill all Jews at his school. The incident occurred at 2 p.m. on Monday, targeting over 300 classmates at Renaissance Charter School in Queens.

The emails, allegedly sent from his school account, included a shocking statement: “At 2 p.m. we will rise and kill all Jews in this school and in the city. F*** the Jews.”

New York City police responded quickly after receiving a 911 call regarding a potential bias incident around 12:30 p.m. The student was apprehended just before 3:30 p.m. and is facing charges including making terroristic threats and aggravated harassment under hate crime laws. The NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force is currently investigating the matter.

As a precaution, the school was briefly placed on lockdown while authorities assessed the situation. The lockdown was lifted after police determined it was safe to resume normal activities, as reported by NY1.

State Senator Jessica Ramos expressed her distress over the threats, calling them “deeply disturbing and unacceptable.” She noted her relief that no one was harmed and that the suspect was in custody. The school intends to organize a special assembly featuring Holocaust survivors in response to the incident.

“Hate speech and threats against any community are unacceptable and will not be tolerated at Renaissance,” the school stated, highlighting their commitment to ensuring a safe environment for all students. Ramos added that the principal mentioned the community’s shock at this event, especially given its known diversity.

This arrest comes amid a notable rise in anti-Semitic hate crimes in New York City. According to recent data released by the NYPD, anti-Semitic incidents surged by 182% in January 2026 compared to the same month the previous year, with police investigating 31 such crimes last month versus 11 in January 2025.

Rabbi Mark Schneier, president of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, voiced concerns about the Jewish community’s rising anxiety and fear, stating, “We know this is open season.”

This increase in anti-Semitic acts corresponds with Mayor Zoran Mamdani’s initial month in office, during which he revoked several executive orders from former Mayor Eric Adamu, including the city’s adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of anti-Semitism.