Hundreds rally at UN to urge world leaders to address antisemitism

Hundreds of New York Jewish community members rallied near the UN Wednesday night, urging world leaders at the UNGA to confront rising global antisemitism. Speakers included UJA-Federation CEO Eric Goldstein, ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt, and survivors of antisemitic attacks. The rally was organized by UJA and the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York.

Hundreds of members of New York's Jewish community rallied near the United Nations on Wednesday night, September 23, 2026, urging world leaders gathered for the 81st UN General Assembly to take antisemitic violence seriously. The event, organized by UJA-Federation of New York and the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, featured interfaith speakers and survivors of antisemitic hate crimes from around the world, including the Nova music festival and Bondi Beach. Eric Goldstein, CEO of UJA-Federation, opened by noting that world leaders are not addressing the rampant proliferation of antisemitism. Devorah Halberstam, whose son Ari was murdered in a 1994 terror attack on the Brooklyn Bridge, implored leaders to act immediately. ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt criticized a "deliberate passivity in the face of antisemitism," likening it to complicity. The rally also included George Zamot, a UPS driver who intervened in a July stabbing attack on the Upper West Side. In a display of unity, Nova survivor Shalev Biton translated the remarks of Younes Alkarnawi, the Bedouin man who saved his life. The audience dwindled as the evening progressed, and a small group of counterprotesters from the anti-Zionist group Neturei Karta became increasingly loud. The rally follows recent public gatherings addressing antisemitism in New York City, including a prayer vigil held last week by two Orthodox Jewish day schools outside Gracie Mansion.