By: Fern Sidman
A reported incident involving a Cornell University student and a Jewish-owned New York City startup has ignited widespread condemnation and renewed concerns about the persistence of antisemitism in academic and professional environments, drawing attention from business leaders, university officials, and social media users across the country.
According to a report on Saturday in The New York Post, a student who had applied for a summer internship with a rapidly growing technology startup allegedly withdrew from consideration with a message that explicitly referenced the Jewish identity of the company’s founders. The reported exchange has since generated significant public reaction and prompted an investigation by Cornell University.
The incident came to light after The New York Post reported that Gabe Einhorn, co-founder of the New York-based startup VryfID, shared a screenshot on social media showing what appeared to be a brief but highly controversial response from an applicant who had previously expressed interest in joining the company.
The message, according to screenshots published and described by The New York Post stated: “Not interested in working for a Jew. Thanks.”
The reported response stunned the startup’s founders and quickly spread across social media platforms, where users expressed shock over the apparent display of antisemitism directed at a prospective employer.
According to The New York Post report, the applicant was identified as Austin Franco, a 19-year-old Cornell University student who had applied for a summer internship with VryfID, a company specializing in tenant verification and fraud prevention services within New York City’s competitive rental housing market.
The publication reported that Franco had submitted an application through Handshake, a widely used employment platform that connects students with internship and career opportunities.
After reviewing applications, VryfID’s leadership reportedly considered Franco for a position on the company’s growth team, which focuses on expanding user engagement and attracting renters to the platform.
According to The New York Post report, the controversy emerged when efforts were made to schedule an interview with the student. It was during that process, the publication reported, that the allegedly antisemitic message was received.
The startup’s founders, Gabe and Aiden Einhorn, subsequently found themselves at the center of a public conversation that extended far beyond a single internship application.
In comments reported by The New York Post, Gabe Einhorn explained that he felt compelled to share the exchange publicly because he believed it reflected broader societal issues and growing concerns regarding antisemitism.
According to the publication, Einhorn initially attempted to protect the applicant’s identity by obscuring his name when posting the screenshot online. “I felt bad exposing him because I thought he could have made a mistake and he really doesn’t believe this wholeheartedly,” Einhorn told The New York Post.
However, the controversy deepened after additional comments reportedly appeared on social media. According to The New York Post report, the student later published a statement that appeared to reaffirm rather than retract his earlier remarks.
The publication reported that Franco wrote: “My experiences with Jews have not been pleasant, both in person and online. This is not to say I haven’t had positive experiences, but on the aggregate that is not the case.” That reported statement generated additional criticism from observers who argued that negative experiences with individuals cannot justify broad generalizations about an entire religious or ethnic group.
The incident quickly moved beyond social media and into the realm of institutional response. Cornell University confirmed that it had begun reviewing the matter after the exchange became public. A university spokesperson told The New York Post that Cornell condemns antisemitism and all forms of hatred and discrimination.
“Cornell condemns antisemitism and all forms of hatred and discrimination in the strongest possible terms,” the spokeswoman said, according to the publication. The university’s response comes at a time when colleges and universities across the United States continue to face scrutiny regarding their handling of antisemitism and discrimination.
Over the past several years, debates surrounding campus climate, free speech, religious discrimination, and antisemitism have become increasingly prominent at many institutions of higher education. For VryfID’s founders, however, the controversy was deeply personal.
According to The New York Post report, Gabe Einhorn and his younger brother Aiden launched the company during the summer of 2025 with the goal of addressing inefficiencies within New York City’s rental housing market.
The startup seeks to simplify the apartment-search process by verifying renters and helping landlords connect with qualified tenants. In comments reported by The New York Post, Gabe Einhorn explained the company’s mission.
“Instead of renters struggling to search for apartments and getting rejected, we have them sign up, pay $20 to get verified. Then we actually bring them apartments that they actually qualify for,” he said. The service is intended to benefit both sides of the housing equation by reducing fraud and streamlining tenant screening. “For landlords, it helps them fill up their units and brings them the right tenants,” Einhorn told The New York Post.
The brothers’ entrepreneurial journey has attracted attention in New York’s technology and startup communities, particularly because of their relatively young ages and rapid growth trajectory.
Yet according to The New York Post, neither founder expected to encounter such a direct expression of prejudice during the hiring process. “The whole thing was just very shocking and uncalled for,” Gabe Einhorn told the publication. He added that the experience represented one of the most direct encounters with antisemitism that he and his brother had personally experienced.
According to The New York Post report, Gabe, who openly practices Judaism and frequently discusses his faith on social media, said that antisemitic messages have become increasingly common online.
The publication reported that he has received multiple threats and hostile communications through various social media platforms. “I’ve seen some terrible things across the board — antisemitic things and just terrible things in general,” he told The New York Post. The entrepreneur further suggested that anonymity often emboldens individuals to express views they might otherwise keep private. “People just like to spread hate across social media because they’re anonymous and they have no repercussions,” he said, according to the publication.
The reported internship controversy arrives amid broader concerns regarding the rise of antisemitic incidents throughout the United States. Numerous Jewish organizations have documented increases in antisemitic rhetoric, harassment, vandalism, and discrimination in recent years.
Business leaders, educational institutions, and advocacy groups have increasingly warned that antisemitism is manifesting not only through physical threats and public demonstrations but also in professional and academic settings.
Observers note that employment decisions based on religious identity violate fundamental principles of equal opportunity and nondiscrimination that have long been central to American workplaces.
The reported exchange has therefore resonated far beyond the immediate parties involved. According to The New York Post report, neither Franco nor his father immediately provided substantive public comments regarding the controversy.
The publication reported that requests for comment were not answered, while Franco’s father declined to comment. As the story continues to generate discussion, many observers view it as a stark reminder of the challenges that remain in combating prejudice and fostering mutual respect in an increasingly polarized society.
For the Einhorn brothers, what began as a routine internship recruitment effort unexpectedly became a national conversation about discrimination, tolerance, and the responsibilities of educational institutions and employers alike.
According to The New York Post report, the founders remain focused on building their business while also drawing attention to an alarming example of antisemitism.
Whether Cornell University’s review results in further action remains to be seen. What is already clear, however, is that the reported exchange has sparked a broader debate about the persistence of religious prejudice and the importance of confronting it wherever it appears.
As discussions continue, the incident serves as another reminder that even in highly educated environments and professional settings, longstanding forms of bias can still emerge in ways that surprise, disappoint, and concern communities across the nation.
