By Adam Pagnucco.
Like many other places, Montgomery County has seen a rash of antisemitic incidents in recent years, especially following the October 7 attack in Israel and the ensuing war in Gaza. They include graffiti in public schools, vandalism at an Olney synagogue, threatening mailers and more. In May, a top official with the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington commented:
The number of reports JCRC has received about antisemitism at MCPS is significantly higher than other school districts across our region. They come at a time when antisemitism is becoming more dangerous and violent throughout our country and internationally. And since many instances of antisemitism and other forms of hatred go unreported, we know that the reports we receive are likely just the tip of the iceberg.
While the details vary, these incidents reveal a harsh truth: too many Jewish students and educators at too many MCPS schools continue to face too many threats.
The county has reacted by allocating hundreds of thousands of dollars in security grants to faith institutions, including those belonging to Jewish, Islamic and other faith communities. But the issue has not gone away.
A slide from the county’s Anti-Hate Task Force Jewish cohort report showing antisemitic graffiti in Bethesda.
Now a regional chapter of End Jew Hatred has sent letters to the county government and MCPS using data from the county’s police department to show rising levels of antisemitic incidents between the last six months of 2022 and the first four months of this year. The group contends that Jews are victimized by bias incidents more than any other group, that MoCo accounts for most antisemitic incidents in Maryland and that incidents against Jews in MoCo surpass incidents against Jews in Queens, New York – which has double our population.
Regardless of the accuracy of these claims, what’s clear is that antisemitism is a concern for a lot of MoCo residents. They are sure to put it on the agenda of the county’s next generation of leaders who will be elected this year.
The group’s letter to the county council, the county executive and the police chief is reprinted below.
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June 4, 2026
Montgomery County Council
County Executive Marc Elrich
Chief of Police Marc R. Yamada
Re: Urgent Need to Address a Pattern of Antisemitism in Montgomery County
Dear Montgomery County officials:
This letter is submitted on behalf of the DC, MD and VA chapter of EndJewHatred.com, established last year to combat Jew hatred throughout the National Capital region. We now number more than 300 activists across the DMV, largely residents of Montgomery County, MD. We are not associated with any other Jewish advocacy groups.
EJH, which was established by the 501c3 Lawfare Project, is a non-partisan civil rights movement focused solely on justice for the Jewish people, “to empower and liberate Jews from centuries of persecution and discrimination. We demand a world in which Jew-hatred is acknowledged to be detestable and unacceptable, just as hatred or violence against any other group: blacks, LGBTQ+ or women”, as our mission reads on our web site, http://www.endjewhatred.com/
The scope of the problem is significant. According to the Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) most recent audit, Montgomery County accounts for approximately two-thirds of all antisemitic incidents in Maryland, with 120 reported cases in 2025 alone. About 45 percent of Maryland’s Jewish residents live in our community.
Maryland ranked ninth among all the states in antisemitic incidents with 181 reported cases, in 2025.
For the first four months of 2026, ended April 30, 35 of 76 anti-bias/hate incidents reported to police involved Jewish people (46 percent), and more than 1/3 of the incidents were in the public schools. These are not abstract statistics. They represent Jewish students, families, and community members in your schools who are experiencing real harm.
In contrast, for the last SIX MONTHS of 2022, when Montgomery County Police began disclosing monthly hate/bias statistics, and well before the spike in antisemitism across the globe due to the Israel-Gaza war a year later, there were 69 incidents of which only eight were in schools, and only 25 were “anti-Jewish.” But in all years since 2022, Police data shows that antisemitic acts were the tops among all other groups.
See raw data at: https://cms.montgomerycountymd.gov/montgomery-county-police-department/public-safety-data/monthly-hatebias-summaries
Virtually all of these incidents involved Vandalism, Verbal Intimidation/Simple Assault and Physical Intimidation, according to the police reports (see attached).
In comparison, ADL counts only 84 hate incidents involving Jews in 2025 in Queens, NY – which has more than twice the population of Montgomery County (2.3 million vs. 1.05 million residents). With 120 cases in 2025, and 35 so far in 2026, it would seem Montgomery’s 105,000 Jewish residents stand a greater chance of an attack than Jews in Queens, NY. https://www.adl.org/resources/report/audit-antisemitic-incidents-2025
Improved reporting of hate incidents by County Police and Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) could be largely responsible for the increase in 2026 over 2022, but there also could be underreporting. Many people are afraid to report such incidents and get involved with the police.
But the most important statistic to us is the fact the county’s estimated 105,000 Jews are the No. 1 target, and the number of reported incidents in 2025 was about one every three days.
The chart (below) compares incidents for the first four months of 2026 with the last six months of 2022, when County police began disclosing monthly hate crime/bias statistics. As you can see, incidents against Jews – even a year before the Gaza war – were No. 1, and have steadily increased.
It is apparent to us and should be apparent to anyone looking at this data, and the skyrocketing of antisemitic incidents post 2022, that Montgomery County, MD, despite being attractive and safe for so many Jewish families over recent decades, is potentially going the opposite way. And as the elected local governing body, it should concern you if any particular minority group is facing such threats.
I. Recent Incidents of Concern
We are particularly concerned about the following recent anti-Jewish incidents in the Olney area and beyond:
Antisemitic graffiti at Greenwood Elementary School: Vandals spray-painted antisemitic graffiti on school property, including a Star of David used in a derogatory context and anti-Israel messaging. Suspects were captured on surveillance video. This is the second antisemitic incident at an Olney school this year.
Anti-Israel vandalism of the sign at Shaare Tefila Synagogue, located in the 16600 block of Georgia Avenue. During the overnight hours from Monday, February 9 to Tuesday, February 10, 2026, unknown suspect(s) spray painted antisemitic phrases and symbols on multiple signs in the front of the synagogue and propaganda at a school culture night.
Additional reported incidents: The Jewish Community Relations Council has documented “Heil Hitler” gestures and speech at middle school events, as well as physical threats and harassment directed at Jewish students at multiple MCPS schools.
We attach a letter we sent to the Board of Education, Councilman Will Jawando, who chairs your Education Committee, and Superintendent Thomas Taylor asking for a series of reforms in how antisemitism is managed in the schools.
But the County Executive and Council have oversight over the police and schools, and we urge you to be more proactive given the rash of incidents in Olney and ADL statistics indicating Montgomery County leads Maryland in antisemitic incidents.
Thankfully, few of the county cases are considered actual “hate crimes” by police, with most being anti-bias incidents.
But has the Executive or Council inquired with police and schools on what is occurring with their investigations into these cases?
II. What We Are Asking the Council, Executive and Police to do:
1. WORK MORE CLOSELY WITH THE BOARD OF EDUCATION ON ANTISEMITIC INCIDENTS: We recognize the school system is self-governing, although funding comes from the Council. However, some of the incidents described above were NOT necessarily committed by students, teachers or staff, but outsiders. We respect the police having to do their investigations according to their procedures but request the Council and Executive put more priority on this, especially given that the latest Olney vandalism may have been perpetrated by members of the community, not students, based on video surveillance.
2. MONTGOMERY COUNTY POLICE SHOULD CREATE AN ANTISEMITISM UNIT: The fact anti-Jewish hate incidents are No. 1 in 2026 should compel the Council and Executive to create a stand-alone antisemitism task force. At present, such crimes are handled by an overall Anti-Hate Task Force. And to our knowledge, there is no State Attorney General unit devoted to antisemitism as Attorney General Jay Jones has in Virginia, which was created by his predecessor, Jason Miyares.
We appreciate Montgomery police’s patrols around synagogues, schools and other Jewish institutions. We also appreciate the County funding security for non-profit and faith-based institutions to the tune of $1.7 million, which was announced last month. We appreciate the Executive’s creation of an Anti-Hate Task Force in the aftermath of 10/7/2023, which has an antisemitism subcommittee.
Now is the time to establish more-focused efforts to fight Jew hatred.
On May 19, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Antisemitism task force announced a 15-city road tour to raise awareness to antisemitism. Perhaps Montgomery County and the State of Maryland can get ahead of this effort by creating a local unit within the police department and focusing it strictly on combatting Jew hatred. Would you want this panel to hold hearings in Montgomery raising questions about how its government is addressing the problem? https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/federal-task-force-combat-anti-semitism-announces-15-city-national-awareness-action-tour?fbclid=IwY2xjawR5zKVleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFFaTA1eTRONmswUlJEOFZJ c3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHqsJNVcvgOb5a6ix7nkxA3-P37N6KEAs43YhG5fsTxWxRHHjzFd8Y4p5bAnV_aem_6gq6-d4SOQ_ek7LSdy7xmQ
3. COUNCIL EDUCATION COMMITTEE SHOULD HOLD SCHOOLS ACCOUNTABLE FOR COMBATTING ANTISEMITIC INCIDENTS: We reiterate the questions raised in the attached letter to the Board of Education and Superintendent Taylor regarding MCPS’ ten equity-focused Professional Development Opportunities (PDO) courses across the fall and spring terms “to support culturally responsive, antiracist practice among staff.” One of these classes is Understanding the Jewish Student Experience.
Councilmember Jawando’s Committee received an update Jan. 7 on the MCPS Anti-Racist Audit Action Plan from. Dr. Nyah Hamlett, MCPS Chief Equity & Development Officer
But according to the Greater Washington Jewish Community Relations Council “Beginning this August, the school district will be in compliance with recently adopted state law requiring anti-bias training for school educators and staff.”
Why has it taken MCPS two years to complete anti-bias training? And, have all teachers undergone this or are the professional development courses optional for MCPS staff? We would like the Education and Culture Committee to conduct a public inquiry and work session on this to gauge the status of this anti-bias training as it pertains to antisemitism.
We appreciate your attention to this matter and ask that you respond to this letter by June 30, 2026. We would like to see concrete action, as we outlined, not just hear reassurances.
We also are available to meet with the Council, Executive and Police, or your aides, if need be.
According to Vision – Office of the County Executive – Montgomery County, MD you seek to “create an equitable and inclusive community where all residents can pursue their dreams regardless of race, ethnicity, age, or economic circumstances.”
Jewish students and families in Montgomery County are watching, and they deserve to see their local government and schools to act with the urgency this situation demands The Jewish residents and voters of this county deserve answers to our questions.
Sincerely,
Adar Rubin
Director of Mobilization & Campus Manager End Jew Hatred
Ken Reid
DC, MD, VA Chapter Leader EndJewHatred.com