A New York City public school teacher named Mia Kurzer was among protesters at a Manhattan vigil for victims of the Oct. 7 Hamas massacre, where demonstrators chanted violent slogans and carried flags of terrorist groups. Jewish activist Moshe Spern filed a complaint with the Department of Education, alleging that Kurzer’s actions created a hostile environment for Jewish students and faculty, including her participation in previous protests at a synagogue and wearing a keffiyeh to school on Oct. 7. The complaint demands an investigation into Kurzer’s conduct based on allegations of ongoing political activism that discriminates against Jews and violates Department regulations.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-12,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
On October 7, Mayor Zohran Mamdani was booed and accused of genocide by anti-Israel protesters during a vigil in Union Square, New York City, organized to honor victims of the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023. The protest, which drew over 100 demonstrators, marched from City Hall to Union Square, chanting slogans such as "Shame on you" and "Mayor Mamdani take a stand!" when he arrived with a candle to support the event organized by Israelis for Peace New York. Protesters also accused him of being a traitor to Palestinian causes and shouted insults like "You coward," highlighting deep divisions within the city over his stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Written for “Anti Israel Protests NYC” on 2026-10-12,
grounded in this article and the 4 other(s) covering the same event.
A New York City public school teacher crashed a Manhattan vigil last week honoring victims of the Oct. 7 massacre in Israel, alongside other protesters who cheered on Hamas and chanted violent messages such as “globalize the intifada,” The Post has learned.
asserted
Post → crash → intifada
Mia Kurzer, a special education teacher at The Heritage School in East Harlem, was among the protesters videotaped at the event in Union Square, where some carried flags of terrorist groups Hamas and Hezbollah, according to a complaint filed with the Department of Education and Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels.
uncertain
some → videotape → Education
A Jewish activist and educator who filed the complaint is demanding Kurzer be investigated for creating a hostile environment for Jewish students and faculty at her school.
asserted
Kurzer → file → school
“Last night, pro-Palestinian demonstrators overran an October 7 vigil in Union Square organized by Israelis for Peace, drowned out the reading of the names of people killed, and took over chairs reserved for participants, including Comptroller Brad Lander and Mayor Zohran Mamdani,” Moshe Spern wrote in his formal Oct. 8 complaint.
asserted
Spern → overrun → complaint
“Video from the event shows Ms. Kurzer among those occupying those seats while mourners were being shouted down.
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mourners → show → seats
Chants reported at the scene included ‘[globalize] the intifada’ and praise for the attackers.”
asserted
Chants → report → attackers
Spern said he had video evidence that the teacher was at the event.
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teacher → say → event
“She was comfortable sitting among the Hamas flags and Hamas chants,” he told The Post Sunday.
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he → sit → flags
Earlier in the day, Kurzer came to school wearing a keffiyeh, Spern’s complaint alleged.
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complaint → come → keffiyeh
“That choice made staff and students uncomfortable and signaled political activism inside a New York City public school,” he said.
asserted
he → make → school
“A year ago I notified you that Ms. Kurzer participated in both protests outside Park East Synagogue on November 19, 2025, and May 2026, at which demonstrators chanted ‘intifada revolution,’ ‘globalize the intifada,’ and ‘death to the IDF,’ and Jewish congregants were obstructed from entering their house of worship,” Spern told the chancellor.
uncertain
Spern → notify → chancellor
“Those demonstrations were widely condemned, including by Governor Hochul, as intimidation of Jewish New Yorkers at a synagogue led by a Holocaust survivor.”
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demonstrations → condemn → survivor
The Jewish educator argued that the sum of Kurzer’s actions shows a pattern of hostility towards Israel and Jews.
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sum → argue → Israel
“Taken together, the synagogue protests at which intifada was chanted, an unanswered OEO [ Office of Equal Opportunity & Diversity Management] referral, disruption of an October 7 vigil, and wearing a keffiyeh in school on 10/7, this is not an isolated incident,” he wrote in the document.
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he → take → document
“It is a continuing course of conduct by a DOE employee that creates a hostile environment for Jewish students and staff and is incompatible with the Department’s obligations under Chancellor’s Regulation A-830, A-421, and Title VI.
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that → continue → A-830
”
Spern demanded an investigation be conducted by the Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity Management or a referral made to the Special Commissioner on Schools Investigation.
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referral → demand → Investigation
“Jewish students and staff are entitled to a school that does not employ someone who joins mobs outside synagogues and then marks October 7 with a political symbol in the building,” he said.
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he → entitle → building
The teacher’s anti-Israel protest work dates back to her college years.
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work → date → years
In 2024, Kurzer was interviewed by CNN about her participation in anti-Israel protests at the University of Wisconsin, where she was a student at the time.
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she → interview → time
She said she was Jewish and attended Hebrew school as a child, but critics slammed her as “not a real Jew” for partaking in the protests.
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critics → say → protests
Kurzer, reached by phone, had no comment.
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Kurzer → reach → comment
Last week, The Post reported on another teacher, Damien Neva, who brazenly posted, “Long live Yahya al-Sinwar’’ — praising the Hamas leader who was the architect of the Oct. 7, 2023 massacre — in a group chat, according to a lawsuit.
uncertain
who → report → lawsuit
The Aporia
