Amid a vague threat this weekend to Jewish congregations around the country, and ensuing police warnings to remain vigilant, Rabbi Marc Katz assured his congregation he’s continuing Shabbat services as planned and that the focus will remain on the one-year anniversary of the war in Ukraine.
Katz’s congregation, Temple Ner Tamid in Bloomfield, New Jersey, has experienced first-hand this year’s rise in antisemitic incidents, with New York experiencing the most and New Jersey trailing close behind. Last month, the Essex County congregation of more than 500 families was victimized by an attempted firebomber when a flaming bottle of gasoline failed to rupture the glass of a synagogue door. There were no injuries.
Temple Ner Tamid was on high alert again this Shabbat as police departments and Jewish organizations in New York and nationwide were warned of rumors of an organized national “Day of Hate” Saturday, Feb. 25.
Vague threats
The organizers did not indicate targets or locations and as of Saturday afternoon, no specific incidents have been reported. Still, law enforcement, anti-terrorism agencies and antisemitism watchdog groups around the country were warned earlier this week of general action to intimidate and spread fear among Jewish communities by neo-Nazi groups.
News of the “Day of Hate” came following a leaked internal memo by the New York Police Department’s Intelligence and Counterterrorism Bureau. The memo warned officers that online organizers are "instructing likeminded individuals to drop banners, place stickers and flyers, or scrawl graffiti as a form of biased so-called action."
“While there are no identified threats to New York City, out of an abundance of caution, the Department will deploy additional resources to sensitive locations, including houses of worship, throughout the weekend,” an NYPD spokesperson told The Jerusalem Post on Friday. “We urge all New Yorkers to remain vigilant.”
Police in Lakewood, New Jersey, also said that there had not been any "credible information to suggest that these threats will impact New Jersey," but said they would be increasing the number of on-duty officers in marked and unmarked cars anyway, to ensure residents' safety.
Community safety advisory
In Westchester, New York, the Jewish Council sent out an advisory informing residents that, although the area had not been subject to a specific threat, “we must continue to be vigilant and to be aware of the threats that such groups pose.”
Yair Rosenberg, an Atlantic reporter, shared a Facebook post from New York City Councilmember James Gennaro saying that a flyer for the Day of Hate that’s been circulating on social “has been fabricated” but there will be a higher law enforcement presence near synagogues on February 25. Gennaro’s office followed up with a post on Facebook confirming that the Day of Hate is real.
“I have just received a call from CO Kevin Chan at the NYPD 107th precinct, and my office can now confirm that the memo regarding the “Day of Hate” is, in fact, real,” the post said. “It appears as though the previously released flyer was a leaked draft, and therefore, was determined to be unsubstantiated at the time. While this is an unfortunate development, know that my office remains committed to ensuring our community remains safe. Per my request, there will still be additional patrol and police presence near synagogues in the district this Saturday. As always, we ask all to remain vigilant and call 9-1-1 to report any suspicious activity and/or crime.
Evan Bernstein, CEO of Community Security Service, said that the Jewish volunteer security organization has been monitoring the potential threat closely. He encouraged Jewish groups to continue gathering.
“In close coordination with our communal partners, CSS has been monitoring this closely,” Bernstein said. “Based on the intelligence we received, these groups appear to be looking to stir up anxiety in the Jewish community. In addition to working with our partners, which is centered around improving the safety of Jewish institutions through intelligence and information sharing, CSS has been — and will continue to be — in close contact with our thousands of trained security volunteers across the country. We need to be keenly aware of the myriad of manifestations of hate that we face. At the same time, we cannot be scared into not practicing our Judaism and gathering as a community."
Preparing for the Day of Hate
The Day of Hate reportedly has been in the works for more than a month. On a channel of encrypted messaging app Telegram, members of Crew 319, an Iowa-based white supremacist group whose most visible action so far has been a flier campaign, a notice from Jan. 4 called on members to “make your voices heard loud and clear, that the one true enemy of the American people is the Jew.”
But the moderator warned members of the group “to follow their local laws. Crew 319 does not support or encourage any illegal activity. The Jews are watching.”
Regardless of whether the warning is credible, Jewish groups have encouraged communities to counter hate with positivity on February 25.
StandWithUs CEO and Co-Founder Roz Rothstein, the daughter of Holocaust survivors, tweeted out a graphic encouraging the community to celebrate a “Shabbat of Love.”
“This Shabbat: Do something wonderful to counter the ‘Day of Hate,’” StandWithUs tweeted.
Club Z Founder and Executive Director Masha Merkulova urged the Jewish community “to go to synagogue this Shabbat and celebrate loudly, proudly and more joyfully than ever before.” “It is critically important that we do not cower in the face of this virulent Jew-hatred,” she said. “We must show the world that we are not afraid, we will not be silent, and we will always stand united against hate and violence toward the Jewish people. The people of Israel live. The Nation of Israel endures.”