New York Gov. Kathy Hochul gave a state of the state address on Tuesday in which she proposed expanding the list of offenses eligible for prosecution as hate crimes to include all forms of first-degree rape, gang assault, making graffiti, arson, and others. 

According to the New York Police Department, antisemitic hate crimes increased by 214% in October, when Hamas attacked Israel and war ensued. 

Assemblymember Simcha Eichenstein, who represents a largely Haredi community in Brooklyn, said it’s important for the state to address antisemitism. “I have constituents that are afraid to ride the subway right now,” Eichenstein told Shtetl. 

David Greenfield, the CEO of the Metropolitan Council of Jewish Poverty, said he wanted to see the details of the proposal, but agreed that hate crimes must be addressed. “We have to do more around the issue of hate crimes,” Greenfield told Shtetl.  

Assemblymember David Weprin, who represents parts of Queens, thanked Hochul for placing a “major focus” on fighting hate crimes. “There’s no question that we have a major problem now with antisemitism,” he said. 

Also present at a reception following the State of the State address were Yoel Lefkowitz, the director of Jewish outreach and intergovernmental affairs for Attorney General Letitia James; Jason Koppel, a political director at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee; Israel Spitzer, the mayor of the Hasidic village of New Square, Michael Miller, the CEO emeritus of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York; Noam Gilboord, the interim CEO of the JCRC-NY; and Gil Cygler, an executive board member of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce.