Swastikas and Antisemitic Graffiti Found on Brooklyn School Buses

Four school buses stationed near the Williamsburg branch of United Talmudical Academy were found spray-painted with swastikas and antisemitic messages on the morning of November 2. The buses were near Bedford Avenue and Williamsburg Street West in Brooklyn. A person affiliated with the school called 911 at about 9:50 a.m., police said.

The black graffiti included phrases targeting Jews and Israel, as well as “Free Palestine” and “America First.” Some of the writing covered or was placed over Hebrew lettering identifying the bus operators. At least one swastika was painted on a bus’s hood.

The NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating. No arrests had been made, and police had not provided descriptions of any suspects. Local elected officials condemned the vandalism and said they were working with police and community safety group Shomrim to identify those responsible.

Brooklyn Council Member Lincoln Restler cited NYPD figures showing that anti-Jewish crimes made up 52.9% of confirmed hate crimes in New York City through September 30, while Jewish residents account for about 10% of the city’s population. The vandalism came less than a week after the yeshiva received a phoned-in bomb threat. A second school, Yeshivah of Flatbush Joel Braverman High School, received a similar threat that day; both schools were evacuated and later cleared by police.