What to know
- As anti-Semitic crimes continue to rise in New York City and across the country, authorities are discussing how to address and prevent these crimes through a Manhattan summit on this very issue.
- Monday’s meeting took place at the Lincoln Square Synagogue along Amsterdam Avenue on the Upper West Side. The event was organized by the Orthodox Union.
- New York Senator Chuck Schumer spoke at the event, as did Mayor Eric Adams and Governor Kathy Hochul, among others.
NEW YORK — As anti-Semitic crimes continue to rise in New York City and across the country, authorities are discussing how to address and prevent these crimes by holding a summit in Manhattan on just this topic.
The message at Monday’s summit was simple: turn words into reality as top community leaders vowed to improve security in Jewish communities.
Monday’s meeting took place at the Lincoln Square Synagogue along Amsterdam Avenue on the Upper West Side. The event was organized by the Orthodox Union.
New York Senator Chuck Schumer spoke at the event, as did Mayor Eric Adams and Governor Kathy Hochul, among others.
The meeting comes at a time when hate crimes across the country, including New York, as well as hate speech, especially online, are rising at an alarming rate. For this reason, the summit is pushing for tolerance, but also for a clearer message that law enforcement will step up and those who violate it will be severely punished.
“This is our family. This is who we are as New Yorkers: We accept everyone, and when you attack one of us, anyone, you attack 20 million more New Yorkers, starting with your governor,” Hochul said.
Meanwhile, Adams said his administration would not give in to the hate.
“I didn’t spend 22 years of my life as a member of the New York City Police Department protecting the people of this city to give in to those who believe that hatred will have a foothold in the city. It’s not going to happen,” the mayor said.
Recent data shows a worrying trend in November this year compared to the same period last year, as anti-Semitic hate crimes nearly doubled, from 20 incidents in November 2021 to 45 in November this year. In total, there were 182 anti-Semitic incidents last year, while 278 incidents were reported this year. Unfortunately, this is part of a national trend.
Just a few weeks ago, two men were arrested in Penn Station for making online threats to attack a local synagogue. Lawmakers promise additional resources to protect the Jewish community in the future, and Hochul announced the creation of a new Hate and Bias Prevention Unit to address the rise in hate crimes in the state which will drive increased public education, will provide early warnings and mobilize resources in places that have experienced an injury incident.
Additionally, even though Hanukkah begins on Sunday evening, New Yorkers can expect to see increased traditional security for the holiday. However, there are no specific threats in the city.
