“The Woman Protecting New York's Jews”

Chosen for standing on the front lines of the fight against antisemitism: Jessica Tisch leads the largest police department in the United States, and in 2026, she has made protecting New York's Jewish community one of her most visible missions.

Jewish families will not be told to accept fear as the price of practicing their faith.

Jessica Tisch, August

As antisemitic incidents continued to rise across New York City, Tisch has responded with increased police protection, intelligence operations and a dedicated focus on preventing hate crimes before they happen. Jewish New Yorkers accounted for more than half of the city's reported hate-crime victims in the first eight months of 2026, despite Jews making up roughly 10% of the population.

That commitment became deeply personal in August, when a man disrupted Shabbat services and assaulted two people at Manhattan's Central Synagogue, the congregation Tisch has attended throughout her life. No one was seriously injured. She later stood before the community and promised that the NYPD would remain its partner and that Jewish New Yorkers would not be left to face hatred alone.

Tisch has also overseen the NYPD as it works to keep one of the world's largest cities safe amid rising threats, while maintaining record-low levels of some major violent crimes.

For millions of Jews around the world, New York is one of the most important Jewish cities outside Israel. And in 2026, Jessica Tisch has made clear that protecting Jewish life there is not optional, it is a responsibility.

She isn't just protecting a community. She is standing up for its right to live openly, proudly and without fear.

That is why Jessica Tisch is No. 22 on The 36.