School children have had eggs thrown at them, been chased down streets, and subjected to Nazi salutes and death threats amid a surge of racism targeted at Sydney’s Jewish community, a parliamentary inquiry has heard.

The upper house inquiry is examining the prevalence and severity of racist incidents targeted at the NSW Jewish community — known as antisemitism — and what measures could help combat it.

Warning: This story contains language that may be confronting for some readers.

Miriam Hasofer is the principal of Sydney’s Moriah College, a Jewish independent school, and told the inquiry the hate directed at her community had become “crude, vile and targeted” and was designed to intimidate.

A close up of a woman with long dark hair

Moriah College principal Miriam Hasofer speaks as a witness during the NSW Legislative Council’s parliamentary inquiry. (AAP: Bianca De Marchi)

“Last week a year 9 girl was chased up Queens Park Road by a woman shouting, ‘F*** the Jews’, ‘f****** c-word’, ‘free Palestine’, over and over,” Ms Hasofer told the inquiry.

“This was a child walking to school; she was terrified.”

‘Relentless drip-feed of hate’If you or anyone you know needs help:

Ms Hasofer also described receiving an anonymous message stating: “I hope all the children, parents and staff get cancer and die a slow, painful death. Praise Hitler.”

She also recounted incidents of people driving past the college and giving the Nazi salute or yelling “f*** the Jews”.

“Each one is horrific on their own but together they form a relentless drip-feed of hate,”

she said.

Ms Hasofer said security had been stepped up at Moriah College in response.

“In 2025 we are averaging nearly one incident a week; that’s nearly two years of relentless, targeted abuse,” she said.

“Our leaders are operating like a counterterrorism unit and this has become our new normal.”

NSW Police officers standing outside Mt Sinai College in Marboubra, college fence in the background

Police officers outside Mt Sinai College in Maroubra in January after an antisemitic incident. (ABC News)

Emanuel School board member Bassina Farbenblum told the inquiry Jewish students were “genuinely fearful” for their safety.

“There were kids in my son’s year who had raw eggs thrown at them at Westfield because they were in school uniform,” she said.

“The kids are always hypervigilant — they might bring a different jumper to put on, or they’re looking around them if they’ve got the insignia of the school.”

It is not just students at Jewish independent schools being targeted.

Avishai Conyer is the head of youth and young adult engagement at Sydney’s Emanuel Synagogue.

He told the inquiry most of the students who were part of his synagogue attended non-Jewish schools and often reported trying to avoid conflict over their identity.

“They make an active choice to take off their Star of David necklace … or not wanting to make a fuss when someone draws a swastika on the locker,” he said.

‘Hate incidents’ on the increaseClose up of Dave Hudson.

NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Dave Hudson told the inquiry there was no doubt the incidents were antisemitic. (ABC News: Taryn Southcombe)

NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Dave Hudson said the rate of “hate incidents” recorded against the Jewish community was increasing year on year.

Hate incidents recorded by NSW Police

  • 2023 — 1,300 incidents, of which 22 per cent were antisemitic
  • 2024 — 1,600 incidents, of which 27 per cent were antisemitic
  • 2025 — 1,121 incidents so far, of which 33 per cent have been antisemitic

Deputy Commissioner Hudson was questioned by the inquiry about the spate of graffiti and arson attacks on the Jewish community over summer and whether they constituted antisemitism.

“Whilst the catalyst of those incidents was a manipulation of the criminal justice system by an individual … the Jewish community was targeted; they were putting lives in danger,” he said.

“I don’t think we would consider it anything but antisemitic in nature.”

Several members of the inquiry also questioned whether the incidents targeted at the community were anti-Jewish or anti-Israel attacks.

The series of anti-Semitic attacks that have shocked Sydney

Sydney has experienced several anti-Semitic attacks, mainly in Sydney’s eastern suburbs where many Jewish people live, which have been met with widespread community outrage and a heavy police response.

“You can have this argument day and night in this committee around what the definition is, what the intent is,” Nathalie Samia from the National Council of Jewish Women of Australia said.

“We can only talk to the impact on our families and that is what I think you need to have in mind when you have this discussion.”

Emanuel School principal Linda Emms was also unequivocal when she described hate directed towards her students.

“The references are Nazis, Hitler, gas chambers — to me there is no question, this is antisemitism.”

The inquiry is set to hand down its findings by September.