As the war in Israel still wages on between Israelis and Palestinians, the issues of antisemitism continues to hit home as a Jewish Center in Norwood was defaced in an apparent Halloween prank taken way too far.
The NYPD confirmed that the incident occurred at about 10:15 p.m. on Halloween night, Oct. 31, when it was reported to police that an unidentified individual spray painted “Free Palestine” on the front and side of the Sholem Aleichem Cultural Center, a Jewish center located at 3301 Bainbridge Ave.
The suspect, who remains at large, also covered the door of the center in broken eggs, according to police, who reported that no one was injured during the incident.
“Writing ‘Free Palestine’ or anything on a Jewish institution is an apparent attack against the Jewish community,” said state Assemblymember Jeffrey Dinowitz, whose district includes Norwood. “Nonetheless, the act of vandalizing the Sholem Aleichem Cultural Center with the words ‘Free Palestine’ is not solely an expression of anti-Zionism — is has antisemitic connotations.”
Dinowitz, who is Jewish, also said that antisemitism has skyrocketed since the attack by terrorist organization Hamas against civilians in Israel on Oct. 7, which has resulted in the deaths of more than 1,400 Israelis — the highest death toll of Jews since the Holocaust.
“The celebration of mass violence against Jews under the guise of ‘resistance,’ the call for widespread harm to Jewish people through the slogan ‘globalize the intifada’ and the involvement in large-scale violence against Jews on (Oct. 7) transcend the boundaries of anti-Zionism — they inherently embody antisemitism,” Dinowitz added.
Other elected officials in the borough were also concerned over the recent occurrence of antisemitism at the Norwood Jewish center.
“Community centers should be safe spaces for New Yorkers,” said state Sen. Gustavo Rivera. “I’m appalled that a Jewish cultural center in my district was vandalized.”
“I’m deeply concerned by the surge of antisemitism and other hate crimes in New York,” Rivera added. “Perpetuating hatred and fear cannot and will not be tolerated.”
The NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force was notified regarding the vandalism. The incident remains under investigation, police told the Bronx Times.
“We are disappointed and saddened — and we regret that there are people who partake in these kinds of actions,” said Itzik Gottesman, co-president of Sholem Aleichem Cultural Center, which has been active in the Norwood community for 50 years. “There are other ways for people to express their hurt and anger.”
Last month, multiple vigils in the Bronx were held in response to the Hamas attacks, including a vigil at the Bronx Jewish Center on Pelham Parkway.
According to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), the number of antisemitic incidents in the United States involving harassment, vandalism and assault between Oct. 7 and Oct. 23 increased by nearly 400%, with 312 recorded incidents, compared to the same time period last year.
Reach Steven Goodstein at sgoodstein@schnepsmedia.com or (718) 260–8326. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes
