NEW YORK — New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin on Friday unveiled a sweeping initiative to combat antisemitism, proposing new safety measures for houses of worship and schools as concerns grow over rising hate crimes targeting Jewish New Yorkers.

Menin, the first Jewish speaker in the Council’s history, said the package will include legislation to establish buffer zones around synagogues and religious institutions when protests take place nearby, allowing congregants to enter safely without intimidation.

🔴 LIVE: Speaker Menin and Council Members Announce Legislation and Initiatives to Confront Antisemitism and Hate https://t.co/ITNXqrwORP

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The proposal would mirror — and potentially expand on — a similar effort announced this week by Gov. Kathy Hochul, who has called for a 25-foot protest buffer around houses of worship. Menin said the Council is considering a wider perimeter, possibly extending up to 100 feet.

“I make no apology for insisting on a proportionate response to the disproportionate discrimination facing our Jewish community,” Menin said, adding that she applies the same zero-tolerance standard to hate targeting any group.

Menin has framed the effort as part of a broader five-point plan to confront antisemitism, focusing on education, community safety and enforcement tools. The initiative includes expanding reimbursements for security guards at schools and religious institutions, funding for security cameras, and mandatory safety training for houses of worship.

Other elements of the proposal include creating a city hotline for reporting antisemitic incidents to the Commission on Human Rights and allocating $1.2 million over the next two years for Holocaust education programs.

Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said antisemitic incidents accounted for more than half of all reported hate crimes in New York City last year — 330 of 576 cases — even as overall hate crimes declined.

Menin said she briefed Mayor Zohran Mamdani on the initiative ahead of the announcement, calling the discussions “productive,” while emphasizing that the plan is not aimed at the mayor or his administration.

Mayor Mamdani, who has been outspoken in his criticism of Israel’s war in Gaza, has sought to balance his progressive base with assurances to Jewish New Yorkers that he is committed to their safety. His office has said the mayor supports protecting religious communities but is reviewing the legal implications of protest buffer zones.

Menin said her motivation is personal as well as political, noting that her mother and grandmother survived the Holocaust after hiding in Hungary during World War II.

“At this moment, when antisemitism is rising and the Jewish community feels vulnerable, we must confront this head on,” she said.

The proposals follow a series of protests near synagogues in recent months that included chants widely condemned as antisemitic, heightening calls for stronger safeguards around religious institutions.

Menin said the Council will begin advancing legislation in the coming weeks, with the goal of strengthening protections while respecting constitutional limits on protest and free expression.