B’klyn vigil amid a wave of anti-Semitism
OUTRAGED New Yorkers staged a “Not in Our City” vigil in Brooklyn on Sunday, amid police reports showing crimes against Jews continuing to soar.
As of March 5, there were 55 anti-Semitic crimes across the five boroughs in 2017, compared with 19 during the corresponding period the year before.
While most of the crimes were classified as criminal mischief, three were reported assaults.
Anti-Semitic hate also struck near Rochester on Sunday, when a caller phoned in a bomb threat against the Jewish Community Center in Brighton. Gov. Cuomo called the threat “despicable and cowardly” and said state police would investigate the crime. It was the second threat against the center in less than a week.
“It is especially repugnant that this latest act of anti-Semitism took place on Purim, a day that we celebrate the resiliency of the Jewish people,” the governor said.
The bomb threat was among a spate of hate crimes against Jewish centers and schools across the state.
Protesters in New York City responded with a the vigil Sunday in front of the Brooklyn Museum, where community leaders denounced crimes that included cemetery desecration and bomb threats.
About 50 people formed a wall along the perimeter of the museum in silent protest.
“What kind of person would call in a bomb threat at a Jewish Children’s Museum where the bulk of the people attending are children?” said Ben Wides, a protest organizer, referring to an email sent last Thursday.
“These bomb threats seemed designed to spread fear, and we know that fear spreads, hatred spreads in a climate (where) people aren’t speaking out.”
Brian Thompson, a “Not in Our City” volunteer coordinator, said threats directed at a building filled with children was particularly upsetting.
“I think of kids going to a museum, that’s one of the worst things that you can possibly hear, that someone would want to harm other people,” Thompson said.
“It’s very disturbing. There have been a lot of disturbing things that have happened since the election, and we just want to continue to reinforce the message that it’s not OK.”
A heckler shouted at the group to, “Stop protesting,” before running off.
Officials said 142 bomb threats were made to 107 Jewish community centers and day schools in 34 states between Jan. 9 and Sunday.
That includes 18 threats against 14 Jewish community centers in New York State. “Groups whose agenda is hate seem to feel greater license to express that since the election, and we want to make sure people know most New Yorkers condemn this,” said Wides, who organized the Brooklyn protest. “We don’t want to see this spread in this city.”