WE ARE SHAKEN, BUT WE ARE NOT BROKEN

AS WE CONCLUDED OBSERVING THE HIGH HOLIDAYS IN MID-OCTOBER, OUR LOCAL AND NATIONAL JEWISH COMMUNITIES WERE BOMBARDED WITH AN ASTONISHING AMOUNT OF HATE AND ANTISEMITIC RHETORIC THROUGHOUT SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS. WE WITNESSED:

Damaging statements by Ye.

Display of hate banners with the words “End Jewish Supremacy in America” and “Honk if you know it’s the Jews” in Florida.

Kyrie Irving, the all-star NBA point guard, shared a link to an antisemitic film that is filled with antisemitic stereotypes and Holocaust denial.

FBI issuing a credible threat alert targeting all synagogues in New Jersey.

Antisemitism is growing; increasingly alarming is the fact that this antisemitic hatred is now more and more espoused by celebrities, athletes, and music moguls. As antisemitism continues to spread vitriolically, the Jewish Federation continues working around the clock on actively keeping our community safe. We conduct site assessments, establish alert systems for synagogues, agency partners, and lay leaders, help with federal grant proposals, hold training sessions, respond to crises, and more. The Federation participates in security briefings organized by the Secure Community Network (SCN). And, the Federation maintains strong relationships with local and regional law enforcement authorities.

Many of these initiatives were mobilized during the November escalation.

On Thursday, November 3, the FBI issued a threat on their social media pages: “We ask at this time that you take all security precautions to protect your community and facility. We will share more information as soon as we can. Stay alert. In case of an emergency, call police.” jewishpmb.org

Moments after the alert was issued, the Jewish Federation informed our local synagogues and agencies, put out a statement on our social media pages, and participated in several news briefs from the Secure Community Network (SCN). The Jewish Federation reached out to local police departments in Mercer County and operated on high alert while engaging in constant communication with the lay leaders.

On Friday morning, November 4, the Federation participated in a call about the FBI Alert that was issued Thursday afternoon. The call was led by Governor Murphy and other participants including the New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin, the Director of New Jersey Homeland Security Laurie Doran, and FBI Newark Director, Jim Denehy.

On the call, Federation learned that the immediate threat had been mitigated and the person of interest had been identified and approached by the FBI. We were assured there is no longer a current, credible threat to the community. Over Shabbat, our local law enforcement continued to be on high alert, increasing their presence and patrols around synagogues and Jewish facilities.

A week later, on November 10, we were notified that the alleged perpetrator was charged.

The Jewish Federation will always take a proactive, leadership role when it comes to combating antisemitism and securing our community. In the next few months, we will be offering even more community-wide training programs, and we hope that you will participate. Day in and day out, the Jewish Federation works tirelessly to protect the rights and safety of the Jewish people to gather, worship, and celebrate in peace.

If you or someone you know experiences anti-Jewish bias, hate, verbal or physical violence, or if you witnessed hate-biased crimes like vandalism - contact Mark Merkovitz at 609-524-9910 or mmerkovitz@jewishpmb.org.

Everyday your generous support helps us unlock programs that meaningfully impact the lives of Jewish individuals in Mercer amd Bucks counties and the world. We are grateful to our generous donors for their unwavering support. With your help, we are serving senior citizens, children, and the community at large.