An interfaith group of clergy members from New York City gathered in Crown Heights with members of the NYPD and the Mayor’s Office to protest the multiple antisemitic hate crimes that have taken place in New York in recent months.
The protest was organized by the New York State Chaplains’ Task Force and included members of the NYPD and the New York City Mayor’s Office.
Speakers at the event emphasized that “love and tolerance” must triumph over hate – but few realistic strategies to implement that concept were raised at the gathering, which appeared to be more of a solidarity rally in the wake of numerous recent antisemitic attacks on Jews living in Crown Heights.
Those who spoke at the event, which took place at the Jewish Children’s Museum on the corner of Kingston Avenue and Eastern Parkway, included Devorah Halberstam (an official at the museum), Rev. Dr. Marcos A Miranda, US Chaplain Task Force, Bishop Dr. David Olivencia, New York State Chaplain Federation, Rev. Kim Osorio, US-NYS Chaplain Task Force, Eli Samuel and Dr. Pura Coniglio, New York City Clergy Association, Pastor David Beidel and Gerald Seabrooks, USS, Rev. Terry Lee, White House Prayer, Pastor Josias Rodriguez, Bishop Ismael Claudio, UCCAP, Janet Singh, Khalsa Community Patrol, Imam Tahir Kukaj, NYPD Chaplain, NYPD Commanding Officer-Inspector Richie Taylor and various elected officials.
One Arrest in This Week’s Attack
The most recent such attack was reported in the Brooklyn neighborhood this past Monday, when two Jewish teenage boys were attacked by a gang of five or six black teenage muggers.
This group of teenagers attacked and assaulted two Jewish teenagers, leaving one of them with a bloody nose. Shomrim got an ? on these perps as they entered a building on the north side of Eastern Parkway. We are working with @NYPD71Pct @NYPD77Pct providing them with footage pic.twitter.com/qHgVasGkTy
— CH Shomrim (@ShomrimCH) March 14, 2023
The boys were walking on Albany Avenue near Crown Street when they heard the thugs say “Get them,” before one approached the boys, demanding he give them the contents of his pockets.
The gang then fell upon the two Jewish teens, punching one of them in the face and knocking him down. The attackers demanded the second teen give them “bread” (money), and grabbed his phone – but hurled it back at him because they saw it was an inexpensive type.
The attackers then fled. NYPD responded but did not immediately find the thugs. One of the victims was taken to a hospital, where he was treated for a broken nose. The second victim was interviewed by detectives from the NYPD 71st precinct.
BREAKING: I’ve just been informed that the violent hate criminal who viciously attacked the man pictured below has just been found and arrested!
Im thankful the NYPD followed through and secured the arrest. Let’s hope the DA will seek justice for the victim and not the criminal! https://t.co/qDFyzY1rEY
— Dov Hikind (@HikindDov) February 16, 2023
According to the NYPD, antisemitic hate crimes more than doubled in November 2022 from November 2021. Last November alone, 45 antisemitic hate crimes were reported, compared to 20 such attacks in the same period one year earlier, a rise of 125 percent.
COLLive.com contributed content to this report.
