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| Solidarity March Against Anti-Semitism: Thousands Rally After Attacks | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Tens of thousands of people, some covered in Israeli flags and others singing Hebrew songs, poured into Lower Manhattan on Sunday in a show of solidarity for New York’s Jewish community in the wake of a spate of anti-Semitic attacks in the region in the last month. | Tens of thousands of people, some covered in Israeli flags and others singing Hebrew songs, poured into Lower Manhattan on Sunday in a show of solidarity for New York’s Jewish community in the wake of a spate of anti-Semitic attacks in the region in the last month. |
| The most recent attack occurred inside a Hasidic rabbi’s home in a New York City suburb, when a man wielding a machete stabbed at least five people who had gathered for Hanukkah celebrations. | The most recent attack occurred inside a Hasidic rabbi’s home in a New York City suburb, when a man wielding a machete stabbed at least five people who had gathered for Hanukkah celebrations. |
| The violence has shaken the Jewish community in the New York area and underscored the startling rise of these types of hate crimes across the country: Anti-Semitic hate crimes in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago — the nation’s three largest cities — are poised to hit an 18-year peak, according to an upcoming report from the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino. | The violence has shaken the Jewish community in the New York area and underscored the startling rise of these types of hate crimes across the country: Anti-Semitic hate crimes in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago — the nation’s three largest cities — are poised to hit an 18-year peak, according to an upcoming report from the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino. |
| “We’re not afraid to stand together, to be able to stand against violence and promote nonviolence,” said Leslie Meyers, 44, who attended Sunday’s rally, which was organized by the United Jewish Appeal-Federation of New York and the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, along with dozens of other advocacy and Jewish community groups. | “We’re not afraid to stand together, to be able to stand against violence and promote nonviolence,” said Leslie Meyers, 44, who attended Sunday’s rally, which was organized by the United Jewish Appeal-Federation of New York and the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, along with dozens of other advocacy and Jewish community groups. |
| Speaking to the crowd on Sunday, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said that New York will increase funding for security at religious institutions and will also increase the presence of the state police force and hate crimes task force in vulnerable communities. Mr. Cuomo said he also plans to propose a new state law labeling hate crimes as domestic terrorism. | Speaking to the crowd on Sunday, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said that New York will increase funding for security at religious institutions and will also increase the presence of the state police force and hate crimes task force in vulnerable communities. Mr. Cuomo said he also plans to propose a new state law labeling hate crimes as domestic terrorism. |
| “While we’re here today in the spirit of solidarity and love, government must do more than just offer thoughts and prayers. Government must act,” Mr. Cuomo said. | “While we’re here today in the spirit of solidarity and love, government must do more than just offer thoughts and prayers. Government must act,” Mr. Cuomo said. |
| At the rally, Senator Chuck Schumer of New York announced a proposal to increase federal funding to protect houses of worship and increase the capacity for local police groups to fight hate crimes. | At the rally, Senator Chuck Schumer of New York announced a proposal to increase federal funding to protect houses of worship and increase the capacity for local police groups to fight hate crimes. |
| Several other noteworthy politicians, including Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the progressive Democrat from Queens and the Bronx, Mayor Bill de Blasio, Corey Johnson, the City Council speaker, and Letitia James, New York’s attorney general, also attended the march. Mark D. Levine, a New York City councilman, called the outpouring of support from the large and diverse crowd “unprecedented” on Twitter. | Several other noteworthy politicians, including Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the progressive Democrat from Queens and the Bronx, Mayor Bill de Blasio, Corey Johnson, the City Council speaker, and Letitia James, New York’s attorney general, also attended the march. Mark D. Levine, a New York City councilman, called the outpouring of support from the large and diverse crowd “unprecedented” on Twitter. |
| At 11 a.m., while waiting for the march to begin, Helene Wallenstein was holding an official “No Hate. No Fear.” rally sign along with another reading “We Are All Neighbors,” depicting various religious symbols. Ms. Wallenstein, who came from Oceanside, Long Island, said that while the rally was focused on anti-Semitism, she said people of all faiths should stand together. | At 11 a.m., while waiting for the march to begin, Helene Wallenstein was holding an official “No Hate. No Fear.” rally sign along with another reading “We Are All Neighbors,” depicting various religious symbols. Ms. Wallenstein, who came from Oceanside, Long Island, said that while the rally was focused on anti-Semitism, she said people of all faiths should stand together. |
| “We’re feeling it now but it can turn on anybody,” Ms. Wallenstein said. “It’s not O.K.” | “We’re feeling it now but it can turn on anybody,” Ms. Wallenstein said. “It’s not O.K.” |
| Demonstrators marched from Foley Square in Lower Manhattan, across the Brooklyn Bridge and into Cadman Plaza Park in Brooklyn, where community leaders spoke of unity in the face of anti-Semitism. | Demonstrators marched from Foley Square in Lower Manhattan, across the Brooklyn Bridge and into Cadman Plaza Park in Brooklyn, where community leaders spoke of unity in the face of anti-Semitism. |
| Stephanie Knepper Basman, 37, marched down Lafayette Street while wearing an Israeli flag wrapped around her neck. | Stephanie Knepper Basman, 37, marched down Lafayette Street while wearing an Israeli flag wrapped around her neck. |
| Ms. Knepper Basman, who works in affordable housing development, said that she attended the march because the spike in anti-Semitism “is outrageous” and added that “anti-Zionism is masked as anti-Semitism.” | Ms. Knepper Basman, who works in affordable housing development, said that she attended the march because the spike in anti-Semitism “is outrageous” and added that “anti-Zionism is masked as anti-Semitism.” |
| Few people from the Hasidic community, which has been targeted in the recent attacks, attended the event on Sunday. Some Hasidic leaders publicly criticized several of the Jewish organizers, who they say do not support the deeply conservative Hasidic practices, underscoring tensions that exist within the wider Jewish community. | Few people from the Hasidic community, which has been targeted in the recent attacks, attended the event on Sunday. Some Hasidic leaders publicly criticized several of the Jewish organizers, who they say do not support the deeply conservative Hasidic practices, underscoring tensions that exist within the wider Jewish community. |
| “They are making it easier for these organizations to continue to incite against the Orthodox Jewish community; it is giving legitimacy to those organizations,” said Aron Weider, a county legislator in Rockland County — where the stabbing at the Rabbi’s home took place — who did not attend the march. | “They are making it easier for these organizations to continue to incite against the Orthodox Jewish community; it is giving legitimacy to those organizations,” said Aron Weider, a county legislator in Rockland County — where the stabbing at the Rabbi’s home took place — who did not attend the march. |
| But for attendees, the event offered an important opportunity to demonstrate the far-reaching concern among the city’s Jewish population that an attack against the visibly Jewish Hasidic community is a threat to all Jews. | But for attendees, the event offered an important opportunity to demonstrate the far-reaching concern among the city’s Jewish population that an attack against the visibly Jewish Hasidic community is a threat to all Jews. |
| “We know our community is a complicated one,” said Eric Goldstein, chief executive officer of the United Jewish Appeal-Federation of New York. “We need to recognize that despite differences we have, we’re here to show our solidarity with all Jews, including very much the visibly traditional Orthodox community.” | “We know our community is a complicated one,” said Eric Goldstein, chief executive officer of the United Jewish Appeal-Federation of New York. “We need to recognize that despite differences we have, we’re here to show our solidarity with all Jews, including very much the visibly traditional Orthodox community.” |
| Days before the march, 90,000 Jews gathered at MetLife Stadium and 20,000 thronged to Barclays Center to mark a traditional religious celebration, known as the Siyum HaShas, or “completion of the Talmud,” which carried extra meaning in light of the recent attacks. | Days before the march, 90,000 Jews gathered at MetLife Stadium and 20,000 thronged to Barclays Center to mark a traditional religious celebration, known as the Siyum HaShas, or “completion of the Talmud,” which carried extra meaning in light of the recent attacks. |
| Even as thousands gathered to offer their support to the Jewish community, anti-Semitic sentiments could be seen in other parts of the city: On Saturday, a banner promoting a white nationalist website was seen hanging over an overpass in the Bay Ridge neighborhood in Brooklyn. | Even as thousands gathered to offer their support to the Jewish community, anti-Semitic sentiments could be seen in other parts of the city: On Saturday, a banner promoting a white nationalist website was seen hanging over an overpass in the Bay Ridge neighborhood in Brooklyn. |
| The number of hate crimes reported last year in New York City rose around 20 percent compared to in 2018, according to the police. | The number of hate crimes reported last year in New York City rose around 20 percent compared to in 2018, according to the police. |
| After the stabbing in Monsey, N.Y., an enclave 30 miles northwest of New York City that is home to a large ultra-Orthodox community, the city announced that more police patrols would be assigned to some Jewish neighborhoods in the city. | After the stabbing in Monsey, N.Y., an enclave 30 miles northwest of New York City that is home to a large ultra-Orthodox community, the city announced that more police patrols would be assigned to some Jewish neighborhoods in the city. |
| The suspect in the attack, Grafton E. Thomas, of Greenwood Lake, N.Y., has been charged by state prosecutors with six counts of attempted murder. Federal prosecutors have also filed hate crime charges against him. | The suspect in the attack, Grafton E. Thomas, of Greenwood Lake, N.Y., has been charged by state prosecutors with six counts of attempted murder. Federal prosecutors have also filed hate crime charges against him. |
| Mr. Thomas’s family has said that he suffers from a mental illness and is not anti-Semitic. But federal prosecutors have said that Mr. Thomas kept journals expressing anti-Semitic views and repeatedly searched online for topics like “why did Hitler hate the Jews.” | Mr. Thomas’s family has said that he suffers from a mental illness and is not anti-Semitic. But federal prosecutors have said that Mr. Thomas kept journals expressing anti-Semitic views and repeatedly searched online for topics like “why did Hitler hate the Jews.” |
| The most seriously injured person in the attack, who was slashed three times on his head and stabbed in the neck, remains in a coma in the hospital and is unlikely to awaken, his relatives said on Tuesday night. Four other victims of the attack have all been released from hospitals. | The most seriously injured person in the attack, who was slashed three times on his head and stabbed in the neck, remains in a coma in the hospital and is unlikely to awaken, his relatives said on Tuesday night. Four other victims of the attack have all been released from hospitals. |
| The stabbing was the latest in a series of anti-Semitic hate crimes in December, including a mass shooting at a kosher supermarket in Jersey City, N.J., and a series of attacks against ultra-Orthodox people in Brooklyn, N.Y., during Hanukkah. | The stabbing was the latest in a series of anti-Semitic hate crimes in December, including a mass shooting at a kosher supermarket in Jersey City, N.J., and a series of attacks against ultra-Orthodox people in Brooklyn, N.Y., during Hanukkah. |
| Jacob Desser, 25, a Hasidic Jew, said he was attending the rally as a result of the recent attacks. | Jacob Desser, 25, a Hasidic Jew, said he was attending the rally as a result of the recent attacks. |
| “This is really strengthening the core of unity,” he said. | “This is really strengthening the core of unity,” he said. |