Jewish men assaulted in suspected antisemitic incidents in Brooklyn
Antisemitic graffiti were found at synagogues in Racine, Wisconsin and Sharon, Mass. over the weekend.
By ILANIT CHERNICKAn illustrative photo of Hasidim walking in Brooklyn, New York. (photo credit: DARREN ORNITZ / REUTERS)
Two Brooklyn neighborhoods have been hit yet again with more suspected antisemitic incidents against Jewish residents.This comes just days after dozens of people protested against the scourge of antisemitism at City Hall Park over the weekend.On Monday morning, a Jewish man walking to his synagogue in Gravesend was verbally assaulted. The attacker then tried to punch him repeatedly to no avail. The Jewish man was not injured.New York Councilman Chaim Deutsch said on Twitter that he is “working with the victim of a hate crime in Gravesend, who was verbally assaulted this morning as he entered a synagogue for prayers.”He added that the Hate Crimes Unit of the New York Police Department is investigating the incident.On Friday, two religious men were walking in Williamsburg when a group of youths knocked off their shtreimels as they passed the men.According to Williamsburg News, the incident happened on the corner of Wythe Avenue and South 10th Street.“Two hassidic Jews were attacked Friday night...by a group of 7 youngsters who threw down their ‘Shtreimel[s],’” a tweet by the news organization read.Following Sunday’s rally against antisemitism, Deutsch also tweeted about the incident.“I spoke at a rally about the fear Holocaust survivors face, walking the streets of NYC and feeling targeted because of their religion once again,” he wrote on Twitter. “Now, just a few hours later, I spoke [with] the victim of another hate crime, attacked because of religious garb. When does it end?”
According to recent statistics released by the NYPD, antisemitic hate crimes have risen 63% this year compared to 2018.In a separate incident on Sunday, congregants arriving at the Racine Beit Israel Sinai Congregation for a meeting were horrified to discover antisemitic graffiti painted on the walls and on the synagogue’s door including the words “Jude” and Nazi-styled S’s.In a statement on Facebook, Racine Police said it responded to a report of vandalism at the synagogue at 1:44 p.m. on Sunday.“Antisemitic graffiti was spray painted onto the building,” the statement said. “The Racine Police Department is currently investigating the incident.”Racine Mayor Cory Mason took to Facebook to condemn the incident.“It’s deeply disturbing that this horrendous act was committed the week before Jewish people will celebrate the High Holy Holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, which are intended to be a time of reflection and celebration,” he said. “This is a clear act of hate, and antisemitism of any kind has no place in our City. I hope the congregation at Beth Israel Sinai knows that this ignorant act is not reflective of the inclusive community Racine strives to be.”Mason said that it is his “hope that the perpetrator of this crime will swiftly be brought to justice and atone for their actions.”Meanwhile, a synagogue in Sharon, Massachusetts was also vandalized over the weekend with antisemitic markings that looked similar to swastikas.Sharon Police said in a statement that they received a call from Temple Sinai at around 7:20 p.m. on Saturday.Police added that they “are working closely with our friends at Temple Sinai and are determined to resolve this case.”
