Community Alarmed After Muslim Prayer Gathering Held Outside Brooklyn Jewish Girls School

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(TJV NEWS)Tensions are rising in Brooklyn after community members reported that large groups of Muslim men gathered directly outside Bnos Leah Prospect Park Yeshiva, an Orthodox Jewish all-girls school, for public prayer services that some parents and local residents described as deeply unsettling given the location.

Residents said the gatherings took place immediately outside the school building during hours when female students were arriving and leaving classes, prompting growing concerns about student safety, sensitivity, and neighborhood tensions.

 

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Bnos Leah Prospect Park Yeshiva is a well-known Jewish all-girls educational institution in Brooklyn serving students from early childhood through high school. The school has long been part of the area’s Orthodox Jewish community.

Parents expressed alarm over the sight of dozens of adult men congregating and praying directly outside an all-girls school despite the existence of other nearby mosques and prayer facilities in the surrounding area.

Tell me why Muslim men are praying directly outside an all-girls Jewish day school in Brooklyn when there is literally a mosque around the corner.

This is not “coexistence.” This is INTIMIDATION.

And this is exactly why @NYCMayor opposed buffer-zone legislation meant to protect… pic.twitter.com/jnPnqMXGgr

— ALIZA LICHT (@AlizaLicht) May 15, 2026

“This is not about opposing anyone’s religion,” one local resident said. “People are asking why large prayer gatherings needed to happen directly outside a Jewish girls school when there were other nearby locations available.”

Many Jews in Brooklyn and many on social media, including Brooklyn   Councilwoman Inna Vernikov, are considering this an act of antisemitic intimidation.

Several residents said the optics of the situation became especially sensitive given heightened fears within New York’s Jewish community following rising antisemitic incidents nationwide since the October 7 Hamas attacks and the subsequent war in Gaza.

Community members emphasized that the concern centered on the specific location of the gatherings rather than opposition to Islam or Muslim religious practices themselves.

According to local accounts, the large outdoor prayer assemblies drew significant attention throughout the neighborhood as crowds formed directly adjacent to the school entrance and surrounding sidewalks.

Some parents reportedly contacted local officials and community organizations requesting increased security and police monitoring around the school during dismissal and arrival times.

Tell me why Muslim men are praying directly outside an all-girls Jewish day school in Brooklyn when there is literally a mosque around the corner.

This is not “coexistence.” This is INTIMIDATION.

And this is exactly why @NYCMayor opposed buffer-zone legislation meant to protect… pic.twitter.com/jnPnqMXGgr

— ALIZA LICHT (@AlizaLicht) May 15, 2026

The controversy has reignited broader debates across parts of Brooklyn regarding public religious gatherings, shared neighborhood spaces, and balancing religious expression with community sensitivities.

New York City has seen increased tensions in some neighborhoods over demonstrations, religious events, and political activism connected to the Middle East conflict, particularly in areas with large Jewish and Muslim populations living in close proximity.

At this stage, no criminal allegations or reports of violence connected to the gatherings have publicly emerged.

Still, many parents said the incident left students and families feeling uncomfortable and anxious.

“This is an all-girls Jewish school,” another resident said. “Families simply want their daughters to feel safe and protected while going to school.”

The incident now appears likely to fuel further discussion among local leaders, religious organizations, and residents over how to manage religious gatherings and maintain community harmony in one of New York City’s most diverse boroughs.