A solidarity march with the New York Jewish community is taking place this Sunday for people of all backgrounds to stand in unity following a spike in anti-Semitic hate crimes over the past year. The march will begin at Foley Square in Manhattan on Sunday at 11 a.m. and will end at Cadman Plaza in Brooklyn after a procession over the Brooklyn Bridge.
JOIN US this Sunday, 1/5 at 11 AM in Foley Square for a solidarity march w/ @UJAfedNY, @JCRCNY, @AJCGlobal – NY & the New York Board of Rabbis, as we say no to hate and fear. Enough is enough. #NoPlaceForHate #StandTogether #JewishAndProud More info here: https://t.co/0FAseAjtOe pic.twitter.com/AIBsuZ2htC
— ADL New York / New Jersey (@ADL_NYNJ) January 2, 2020
Last Saturday, a horrifying machete attack during a Hanukkah celebration inside a rabbi’s house in Monsey left five people injured and marked a year in which anti-Semitic hates crimes skyrocketed in NYC.
Out of the more than 400 hate crimes reported in the city during 2019 over half were anti-Semitic, according to the NY Times:
New York City counted 229 anti-Semitic hate crimes through Dec. 30, a modern city record and a sharp rise from the 185 over the same period in 2018, according to the report. Experts said they believed that some of the growth could be attributed to changing neighborhood demographics.
On Wednesday, Governor Andrew Cuomo made a surprise visit to Williamsburg to speak with the Hasidic community while declaring that the stabbing attack in Monsey was a “blatant act of domestic terrorism.” The suspect, Thomas Grafton, has a history of schizophrenia and mental illness, the NY Daily News reports.
“You are not alone,” @NYGovCuomo. He called on the legislature to pass this month a special Domestic Terrorism bill. On the 5th memorial-anniversary of his father, the governor spoke about his late father’s closeness to the community, a friendship that is continued today. pic.twitter.com/h4ce8ot24r
— WILLIAMSBURG NEWS (@WMSBG) January 1, 2020
There have been 13 hate crimes against Jewish people over the past two weeks with many occurring on the streets of Brooklyn, CBS reports:
Governor Cuomo has introduced a New York State “Hate Crimes Domestic Terrorism Act” that would define “hate-fueled murder with the intent to cause mass causalities an act of domestic terrorism with penalty equivalent to other acts of terrorism.”