Wednesday, July 31, 2024
Margaretville man accused of hate crime against Jewish men
A Margaretville man was taken into custody on Tuesday for an alleged hate crime.
On Monday, New York State Troopers from Margaretville and members of the Bureau of Criminal Investigation at Oneonta responded to a Jewish Synagogue on Main Street in the Village of Fleishmanns.
Following an investigation, it was determined that 20-year-old Joseph VanBlarcom allegedly threw objects and recklessly swerved his car at three Jewish men while yelling bias obscenities.
VanBlarcom was arrested and charged with Reckless Endangerment as a Hate Crime, a Class C Felony and Aggravated Harassment in the Second Degree, a Misdemeanor.
VanBlarcom was processed and transported to the Delaware County Jail for Centralized Arraignment and Processing.
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Tuesday, July 30, 2024
Court orders UCLA to protect Jewish students
A federal judge has ordered the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) to create a plan to protect Jewish students following pro-Palestinian protests that erupted on campus in recent months, the Associated Press reports.
The ruling comes after three Jewish students sued UCLA in June, alleging discrimination amid demonstrations against the Israel-Hamas war. Yitzchok Frankel, a UCLA law student, stated in the lawsuit that he declined an invitation from the director of student life to help host a lunch gathering due to safety concerns.
"Under ordinary circumstances, I would have leapt at the chance to participate in this event," Frankel said. "My Jewish identity and religion are integral to who I am, and I believe it is important to mentor incoming students and encourage them to be proud of their Judaism, too."
The lawsuit alleged discrimination during pro-Palestinian protests, which included the establishment of a "Jew-free zone." Frankel argued that UCLA failed to foster a safe environment for Jewish students on campus. The university has been directed to submit a proposed plan by next month, according to AP.
UCLA spokesperson Mary Osako responded to the ruling, stating, "We are committed to maintaining a safe and inclusive campus, holding those who engaged in violence accountable, and combatting antisemitism in all forms." Osako added, "We have applied lessons learned from this spring's protests and continue to work to foster a campus culture where everyone feels welcome and free from intimidation, discrimination, and harassment."
The demonstrations at UCLA were part of a broader movement across US campuses protesting the Israel-Hamas war. In May, law enforcement ordered over a thousand protesters to dismantle their encampment as tensions escalated. Counter-demonstrators had attacked the encampment overnight, resulting in at least 15 protesters suffering injuries. Subsequently, in June, dozens of protesters were arrested after attempting to establish a new encampment on campus.
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Monday, July 29, 2024
Chabad of Squirrel Hill, Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh office building vandalized
A synagogue in Pittsburgh's Squirrel Hill neighborhood and the Jewish Federation of Pittsburgh's office building were vandalized early Monday morning.
Chabad of Squirrel Hill was defaced with spray paint overnight. Congregants worked to cover the graffiti on the synagogue along Beechwood Boulevard.
The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh also shared an image on social media of their office building vandalized with spray paint and antisemitic messaging.
The organization released a statement calling on residents to report vandalism or other acts of hate.
The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh is angered and disgusted by the acts of antisemitic graffiti and vandalism on our office building overnight. The incident comes on the heels of a sharp rise in antisemitic incidents following the Hamas terror attacks that killed more than 1,200. The location and nature of the vandalism suggest that the perpetrators were targeting a prominent Jewish organization, to blame Jews for the actions of a foreign government. Chabad of Squirrel Hill and other Squirrel Hill locations experienced similar vandalism overnight. Vandalism targeting Jews is criminal hate speech, pure and simple. While these specific acts do not indicate any increased direct threat to our community, any acts of hate must be reported immediately to ensure coordination among our Jewish institutions and with law enforcement.
Gov. Josh Shapiro posted on his official X account that the Squirrel Hill community "should not need to wake up to antisemitic graffiti in their neighborhood."
Pittsburgh police are investigating the two incidents, saying in a statement to KDKA-TV that detectives are examining the possibility that the two acts are related, but do not have any suspects in custody.
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Thursday, July 25, 2024
NJ man sentenced to 40 years in prison for 2022 spree of violent antisemitic attacks targeting Orthodox community
A New Jersey man was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison and five years of supervised release for a spate of attacks on Orthodox Jewish men in Lakewood, New Jersey in April 2022.
Dion Marsh, 29, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi in February to five counts of hate crimes and one count of carjacking. He admitted to "willfully causing bodily injury to five victims, and attempting to kill and cause injuries with dangerous weapons to four of them, all because they were Jewish," said a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of New Jersey. In January, Marsh also pleaded guilty to one state charge of terrorism.
Lakewood is a fast-growing city in central New Jersey with a large haredi Orthodox population, and is home to Beth Medrash Govoha, the largest yeshiva outside of Israel.
"These victims were targeted by Marsh because of the way they were dressed, which is in accordance with their religious beliefs," James E. Dennehy, an FBI special agent in charge in Newark, said in a statement Tuesday. "They have that right in this country."
Marsh had forced an Orthodox man out of his car, assaulting him in the process before taking control of the car and driving it away. Hours later, in another car, Marsh rammed another Orthodox man in an attempt to kill him. About 40 minutes later, he rammed a third visibly Orthodox man. Less than an hour after that, back in the car he stole from the first victim, he rammed a fourth visibly Orthodox man and also stabbed him in the chest. Later that night, Marsh hit another visibly Orthodox pedestrian with the car, breaking several of his bones.
The Secure Community Network, a national Jewish security organization, applauded the efforts of law enforcement agencies to pursue the case, as well as the sentence.
"Jewish people in the United States should not have to fear for their safety simply for living their faith proudly in public," SCN said in a statement. "By imposing a strong sentence, our justice system sends a clear message that hate crimes against the Jewish community will not be tolerated, and that the United States government is making it a priority to ensure our community feels safe engaging in daily life."
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Tuesday, July 23, 2024
Indiana man sentenced to 2 years in prison for threatening to kill Jewish people
An Indiana man pleaded guilty and was sentenced to two years in prison, and two years of supervised release, for sending violent anti-Semitic threats to various anti-defamation league offices.
According to the records filed in the case, 67-year-old Andrezj Boryga left voicemails at Anti-Defamation League offices in New York, Texas, Colorado and Nevada.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) said Boryga used anti-Semitic slurs on eight voicemails as he threatened to assault or kill Jewish people.
According to the DOJ, over the last few months, they have brought charges, obtained plea agreements and obtained sentences for more than 30 defendants for criminal acts "motivated by anti-Semitic hate."
"Hate-fueled threats of violence seek to fracture our society and isolate communities from one another," Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said. "This defendant made heinous, repeated violent threats targeting Jewish people and organizations. His actions were not just heinous, they were unlawful. This case represents the latest effort by the Justice Department to combat the disturbing increase in threats against Jews and Jewish institutions across the United States that we have seen in the wake of Oct. 7."
The FBI Indianapolis Field Office investigated the case.
"Everyone in our country should be able to sit in safety regardless of how they worship, free from bigoted threats meant to make them afraid," Zachary A. Myers, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, said. "This criminal's horrific threats sought to put fear into Jewish communities. Violent antisemitism and bigotry must be given no sanction in this country."
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Monday, July 22, 2024
Course on Hasidic Yiddish at Yiddish Summer Weimar
A highly anticipated intensive two-week course on contemporary Hasidic Yiddish begins on July 22 at the annual festival, Yiddish Summer Weimar, in Weimar, Germany.
Yiddish is a living language that has always had many dialects and varieties. But its rich diversity and contemporary relevance is rarely presented in summer Yiddish language programs, which typically teach only Standard Yiddish. This course will focus on Hasidic Yiddish, the variety that is the daily spoken language of around one million people in the USA, Europe, Israel and around the world. A knowledge of the Yiddish alphabet is required.
The unique teaching team includes both native speakers of Hasidic Yiddish and expert researchers who are members of the innovative Contemporary Hasidic Yiddish group at UCL (University College London). They are Dr. Zoë Belk, Eli Benedict, Mendy Cahan, Kriszta Eszter Szendro und Janina Wurbs.
The class will work with historical Hasidic texts, modern Hasidic literature, nigunim, Hasidic pop music and traditional and contemporary film. Formal language classes will take place in the mornings, with separate sections for beginning, intermediate, and advanced classes. Afternoons will be dedicated to more informal learning in an immersive Yiddish environment.
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Thursday, July 18, 2024
'Nashville has a Nazi problem': Jews face two weeks of neo-Nazi invasion
Neo-Nazis have terrorized Jewish Nashville residents over the last two weeks with a series of marches, physical assaults, and antisemitic pamphlets, Jewish groups, law enforcement, and local politicians have stated, adding to the list of incidents over the year conducted by multiple extremist groups coming from outside the city.
The Jewish Federation of Greater Nashville warned on Facebook on Wednesday that security contacts had informed them that one neo-Nazi group would continue to operate in the Nashville area for several days. Nashville Metropolitan Police Department Chief John Drake said in a Wednesday statement that the group was likely operating out of a short-term rental in Scottsville, Kentucky. Nashville Jewish Federation CEO Rabbi Dan Horowitz said in a Tuesday Nashville City Council meeting that several groups had been visiting Nashville over the year, and two different groups were responsible for actions over the last two weeks.
Drake said officers have been present at neo-Nazi demonstrations to deter confrontations, and called on residents not to engage with the activists, as they were seeking to film such incidents for propaganda.
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Wednesday, July 17, 2024
Alleged neo-Nazi ‘murder cult’ leader accused of plot to poison children
Federal authorities have charged the suspected leader of an Eastern European-based neo-Nazi group with harboring plans to have an associate dress up as Santa Claus and hand out candy laced with poison to Jewish and minority children in New York City.
Michail Chkhikvishvili, a Georgian national in his early 20s who goes by the alias "Commander Butcher," was indicted on four charges, the Justice Department said in a statement on Tuesday, including the transmission of threatening communications and conspiracy to solicit hate crimes and acts of mass violence.
He is alleged to be the leader of a group known as the Maniac Murder Cult, a violent international extremist outfit that prosecutors say "adheres to a neo-Nazi accelerationist ideology and promotes violence and violent acts against racial minorities, the Jewish community and other groups it deems 'undesirables.'"
The group is believed to be based in Russia and Ukraine, with members around the world, including the United States.
It was not immediately clear whether Chkhikvishvili had an attorney.
According to court documents filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, he was arrested in Moldova on July 6 under an Interpol order after trying to recruit an undercover law enforcement officer to join the group and commit acts of violence, including arson and bombings.
Prosecutors say Chkhikvishvili began plotting in late 2023 to carry out an attack that year in New York City on New Year's Eve. According to the Justice Department statement, "The scheme involved an individual dressing up as Santa Claus and handing out candy laced with poison to racial minorities and children at Jewish schools."
Chkhikvishvili sought to persuade the undercover law enforcement employee posing as a potential recruit to carry out the plan, providing step-by-step instructions and details on how to mix lethal poisons.
In electronic correspondence with the employee, who was not identified in court documents, Chkhikvishvili later suggested carrying out the plan at another time, on "some Jewish holiday" at "Jewish schools full of kids."
When the undercover employee warned that the attack would "bring alot of heat" on the group, Chkhikvishvili responded, "That's what we exactly want." The Georgian national also discussed publishing a video of the planned attack, hoping that it could make the cult "bigger than Al Qaeda."
According to court documents, Chkhikvishvili since 2021 has distributed a manifesto titled the "Hater's Handbook," in which he encourages others to commit acts meant to sow terror — specifically within the United States — and admits to committing such acts himself.
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Tuesday, July 16, 2024
Jewish students condemn UCLA for defending and assisting antisemitic encampments
Three Jewish students condemned the University of California, Los Angeles, yesterday for defending its actions, allowing and assisting antisemitic encampments that bar Jewish students from accessing the heart of campus. In Frankel v. Regents of the University of California, Becket and co-counsel Clement & Murphy PLLC filed a lawsuit against UCLA after it helped a group of activists as they set up an encampment where they harassed Jewish students and stopped them from accessing classes, the library, and other critical parts of campus. UCLA reinforced these zones—both by providing metal barriers and by sending away Jewish students—while taking no effective action to ensure safe passage for Jewish students.
On June 24, three current UCLA students asked the court to put an immediate stop to UCLA's actions so that they could return to class free from fear that they would be harassed and excluded for being Jewish. UCLA then doubled down, disavowing any obligation to protect its Jewish students, and claimed—despite the numerous encampments that have continued to mar the face of UCLA's campus—that the students have nothing to fear when classes begin again. In response, the students pointed out to the court that the May encampment was hardly an isolated incident. Rather, it merely exemplified the unchecked antisemitism that ran rampant both before and after those appalling events took place. Given that UCLA has now admitted to the court that UCLA itself set up barricades reinforcing the encampment and follows a policy prohibiting calling the police "preemptively," it could not be clearer that "[w]hen activists discriminate against and threaten Jews, UCLA protects the activists, not their Jewish victims."
"UCLA's attempt to dodge responsibility for the ongoing antisemitism on its campus is transparent and shameful," said Mark Rienzi, president of Becket and an attorney for the students. "No one is fooled—UCLA alone bears the blame for allowing and assisting mobs of masked antisemites who threaten, assault, and segregate Jewish students."
Yitzchok Frankel is a law student and father of four who faced antisemitic harassment last semester simply for wearing a kippah and who was forced to abandon his regular routes through campus because of the Jew Exclusion Zone. Frankel detailed how UCLA's continued failures have forced him to cancel plans on campus with his family and to forgo opportunities to mentor incoming Jewish students on campus during orientation week. Eden Shemuelian, another law student, has also had to avoid using campus facilities and participating in law school orientation events because of UCLA's continuing failures to ensure the safety and equal access of Jewish students. With the beginning of the fall semester looming, the students are asking the court to ensure that Jews will never again face such antisemitic bigotry at UCLA.
"Universities that abandon their duty to protect students from vicious targeting must face the consequences," said Rienzi. "The court should hold UCLA accountable for its discriminatory behavior and ensure the safety of Jewish students before the start of the fall semester."
A hearing in the case is scheduled for July 29, 2024 in Los Angeles federal district court.
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Monday, July 15, 2024
Great Synagogue of Sydney, Australia, Targeted by anti-Israel Protesters
Protesters held a large banner calling to 'Sanction Israel' outside the synagogue, in an act which community leaders called 'intimidating and denigrating' for local Jews. Sydney's Great Synagogue was founded in 1878 and is the center of the Jewish community in the city.
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Thursday, July 11, 2024
Tens of thousands visit gravesite of Lubavitcher Rebbe on 30th anniversary of his death
On the evening of July 5, hundreds of Hasidic men crowded into a squat building at a cemetery in Queens, sitting shoulder-to-shoulder at cafeteria-style tables, studying Jewish texts and preparing to visit the gravesite of their late leader.
The men were some of the 50,000 people who this week visited the gravesite of Chabad-Lubavitch Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, known as the Rebbe, to mark the Jewish anniversary of his death, which fell on Monday night and Tuesday. Some had met the Rebbe when he held court at Chabad's home base of Crown Heights, Brooklyn.
But for those born after his passing 30 years ago, a visit to the Ohel, as his gravesite is known, is the closest they can physically be to the last leader of their global movement.
"People of my generation, we have a yearning," said Levi Shmotkin, 26, who was one of the visitors to the Old Montefiore Cemetery on Rabbi Schneerson's yahrzeit. "Instead of me studying the Rebbe's interaction with another teenager, I wish I could be that teenager."
Like some other Chabadniks under 30, Shmotkin has immersed himself in Schneerson's teachings, which are organized in compendia of letters he wrote and talks he gave in Crown Heights. Shmotkin felt drawn to the letters the Rebbe exchanged with those seeking his counseling. He has now published his own book on the correspondence, called "Letters for Life."
"It is only after the teacher leaves and the students are left alone that the students can then take apart and really understand what the teacher said," Shmotkin said while visiting the site. He spent five years organizing Schneerson's 13,000 archived letters, thematically, with a focus on emotional wellness.
"We didn't have that all-encompassing experience of being in the Rebbe's presence. That gives us the ability to dissect what he's saying and make a comprehensive picture of it," Shmotkin said.
Chabad has not had a leader after Rabbi Schneerson – the seventh rebbe of the movement, which was founded in the 18th century in the Russian Empire. In the years following his passing, a contingent of Hasidim have professed that he is the messiah, creating tensions in the movement.
Those tensions were absent on Monday night, when visitors packed into Rabbi Schneerson's walled gravesite, where he is buried alongside his father-in-law and predecessor, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Schneersohn. Men and women filed into the enclosure and, per Orthodox practice, stood with a barrier between them. Nearly all said prayers or left notes on top of the graves. One man left several pictures of Israeli hostages held in Gaza and said a prayer wishing for their safe return.
A long line wound outside the tomb into the street outside, where attendees lit candles in the hot summer night.
Over the decades, the Ohel has become a pilgrimage site for celebrities and politicians as well as Chabad Hasidim. At 1 a.m. on Tuesday morning, New York City Mayor Eric Adams became one of the thousands who visited the grave.
"His influence shaped our city for the better by reminding us even small deeds can change the world," Adams posted on X. "Let's honor his worldwide legacy by increasing our acts of kindness."
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Wednesday, July 10, 2024
NYU Settles Lawsuit With Jewish Students Over Campus Antisemitism
New York University settled a lawsuit Tuesday with Jewish students over claims that the university did not protect them from antisemitism on campus.
The suit was filed in November accusing the university of violating federal civil rights laws by not enforcing its antidiscrimination policy in incidents targeting Jewish students and allowing "pervasive acts of hatred, discrimination, harassment, and intimidation."
NYU was a hot spot for anti-Israel protests in recent months, with police arresting 133 people in a single night and the lawsuit asserted chants such as "Hitler was right," and "gas the Jews" were being regularly heard.
Protests exploded on college campuses across the country after Hamas' Oct. 7 attack that left more than 1,200 people in Israel dead, leading to safety concerns following violent outbreaks. Many universities were forced to cancel classes and graduation ceremonies.
"NYU has committed to take groundbreaking measures to address antisemitism, including in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack and ensuing violence in the Middle East," NYU said in a joint statement announcing the settlement. The students claimed the university had not done enough to condemn Hamas previously.
The settlement included an undisclosed monetary agreement, a commitment to equally enforcing and updating antidiscrimination policies and the creation of a new position overseeing the university's compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, according to the statement.
"NYU, by entering into this historic settlement, is to be commended for taking a leading position among American universities in combating antisemitism on campus. Other universities should promptly follow their lead," Marc Kasowitz, counsel for the plaintiffs, said in the statement.
Several lawsuits have been filed against other universities regarding antisemitic instances. Jewish students at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) sued over the university allowing the creation of a "Jew Exclusion Zone" during a violent encampment, while a Columbia University student accused the school of not doing enough to keep Jewish students safe amid ongoing protests.
NYU did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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Tuesday, July 09, 2024
Jewish couple attacked during brutal anti-Semitic brawl sue NYC for $100 million
A Jewish couple, who are the victims of a suspected anti-Semitic attack during their twins' fifth-grade graduation, are gearing up to hit New York City with a staggering $100million lawsuit.
Johan Nunez and Lana Lerner are accusing the Department of Education of not implementing sufficient security at PS 682 in Brooklyn on June 14, amidst a spike in anti-Semitic incidents seen since war erupted in Gaza.
The pair allege that during the melee, a woman brutally struck Nunez with her black stiletto while he was being punched and kicked, and Lerner was viciously dragged by her hair as the attackers shouted 'Free Palestine.'
Following the fight, which was captured on video, the couple claims they have endured both physical assault and emotional trauma. They also claim they've been subjected to human rights abuses.
The fracas reportedly broke out after a fifth-grader, wearing a school-sanctioned cap emblazoned with 'Free Palestine', crossed the stage waving a Palestinian flag. Witnessing the scene, Lerner's mother, a Jewish émigré from Ukraine, recoiled in horror and vacated her seat saying: "I can't sit through this."
Simultaneously, another parent confronted school officials about the appropriateness of such a display at a graduation event. "The administrator basically told her that 'we contacted legal and were told it's free speech and it's allowed,'" Lerner recounted to the New York Post.
The remainder of the ceremony proceeded smoothly, but once it concluded, all families rushed to a balloon display for photo opportunities. As Lerner and her family were taking pictures of the twins, the family of the boy wearing the Palestinian cap and flag attempted to push them aside, according to the notice of claim.
"They were pushing my mother out of the way," Lerner recalled. She claimed her mum responded to them, "Excuse me, please stop pushing. There is plenty of space." But, she said, "an older gentleman [turned] to us out of nowhere and said: 'Free Palestine.'"
Nunez then reportedly tried to defuse the situation by saying, 'This is not the time or place for this,' but one of the men in the other family kept screaming: 'Free Palestine! Gaza is ours!'
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Monday, July 08, 2024
Liberman calls on French Jews to flee to Israel after far-left victory in France
Following Sunday's French elections result, Avigdor Liberman, head of Yisrael Beytenu, called on French Jews to make aliyah before it is too late in statements at a party meeting on Monday.
Liberman called for French Jews to leave after the broad-left New Popular Front election bloc received the most votes.
"I call on the French Jews to leave France and immigrate to the State of Israel. No time," Liberman said.
The bloc is headed by the far-left strong anti-Israel figure Jean-Luc Melenchon, who Liberman, along with various other figures, including the president of the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions of France (CRIF) have accused of antisemitism.
"His party represents pure antisemitism and expresses a significant increase in hatred of Israel and antisemitism," Liberman said at the party meeting.
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Friday, July 05, 2024
Pro-Palestinian Encampments Spur Antisemitism on Campus, Australian Research Finds
According to a study of Australian universities, 91 antisemitic incidents were reported on campuses in the first semester of 2024, just in the state of Victoria. Only 11 incidents were recorded on university campuses in 2023, nine of which were after October 7, with only one incident in all of 2022
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Wednesday, July 03, 2024
Man arrested for threats against New York Hasidic village
A Suffern man was arrested on Thursday for making threats against the Hasidic village of New Square on social media, the Ramapo Police Department and Rockland County Sheriff announced on Friday.
The 44-year-old suspect was charged with making a terroristic threat, arraigned, and released on Friday.
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Tuesday, July 02, 2024
FBI investigates vandalism at two Jewish cemeteries in Cincinnati
The FBI and police in Cincinnati are investigating the damaging of nearly 180 gravestones at two Jewish cemeteries.
The tombstones, some dating back to the late 1800s, likely were knocked over between June 25 and Monday, according to the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati.
The damage was found in two Jewish sections of the Covedale Cemetery complex on Monday. Some of the tombstones cracked in half, the organization said. Most were pushed face-down.
"Our hearts go out to the families affected by this senseless vandalism. The Jewish community in Cincinnati is resilient and we are committed to repairing the damage and restoring the sanctity of these sacred spaces," the federation said in a statement.
It asked anyone with information to come forward and help with the investigation.
The vandalism comes amid a surge in antisemitism in the U.S. and abroad.
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Monday, July 01, 2024
Appeals court sides with state Education Department over yeshivas
The state Education Department can penalize school districts and parents of students who attend nonpublic schools that fail to provide a course of learning that is "substantially equivalent" to what is offered in a public school, the Appellate Division's Third Judicial Department concluded in a 4-1 decision released Thursday.
The decision is the latest twist — and likely not the final one — in the state's efforts to make sure that the traditional Jewish religious schools known as yeshivas are meeting their obligations to students.
"Parents and guardians cannot discharge their statutory duty by relying upon a nonpublic school that fails to meet the minimal standards of our state law, and the regulations at issue here are the direct application of the commissioner's statutory authority to enforce compliance with that standard," the majority opinion said.
Education Department spokesman Jonathan Burman said the court's language was "spot on."
"The court ruled correctly in upholding regulations that are intended to ensure all New York state students receive the education they are legally entitled to, and in affirming the authority of the commissioner and the Board of Regents to enforce this requirement," Burman said.
He said the agency is still reviewing the particulars of the decision and could not comment on how its conclusions would be enforced.
The ruling overturned a March 2023 decision by state Supreme Court Justice Christina L. Ryba that took issue with the Education Department's ability to enforce the substantial equivalency regulations.
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