Edison, NJ – As township police continue to investigate alleged bias incidents, they also will be stepping up patrols in areas around Jewish synagogues, centers and schools as the Jewish High Holy Days approach.
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“I have been in contact with the Jewish community leaders and assure them that as always we will provide high visibility police presence with additional patrols of Jewish temples, schools and community centers,” Police Chief Thomas Bryan said.
Rosh Hashana begins sundown Sept. 8. Yom Kippur begins at sundown Sept. 17.
Police are investigating the latest incident of vandalism which occurred at Lexus of Edison on Route 1. Swastikas were scratched on the side of cars parked there Thursday night, police said.
“Our detectives are vigorously working on the case,” Bryan said. “Anytime anything like this happens it is alarming. It affects the entire community.”
Officials at Lexus of Edison would not comment Friday on the acts of vandalism.
What angers one Jewish leader nearly as much as the incidents themselves is the recent announcement by the Jewish Defense League that the swastika — the symbol of Nazi Germany — is not necessarily targeted to Jews.
“The swastika is clearly a symbol of hatred of Jews,” said Rabbi Bernhard Rosenberg of Congregation Beth-El.
Last month the Jewish Defense League announced that is will no longer consider the scrawling of a swastika an anti-Semitic incident in its annual survey of bias crimes directed to Jews.
“We know that the swastika has, for some, lost its meaning as the primary symbol of Nazism and instead become a more generalized symbol of hate,” said Abraham Foxman, the ADL’s national director, and Holocaust survivor.
“So we are being more careful to include graffiti incidents that specifically target Jews or Jewish institutions as we continue the process of re-evaluating and redefining how we measure anti-Jewish incidents,” Foxman said.
Rosenberg, the son of Holocaust survivors who has written and taught extensively on the death of 6 million Jews during World War II, said the meaning of the swastika is clear.
“The whole thing is about the Holocaust,” he said.
According to Rosenberg incidents of anti-Semitism have been on the increase in the township. “It’s all over the place. On Route 27 on Friday nights you hear, “Heil, Hitler,’ “Death to Jews,’ “Go back to Auschwitz.’
“My fear is the whole world is not taking this serious,” he said.
Rosenberg attributed the recent rise in anti-Semitism as being a result of Jews being blamed for the worldwide economic slump, and the well-publicized criminal activities of Jews.
Eliyahu Weinstein of Lakewood was arrested Thursday and charged by federal officials of masterminding a scheme that allegedly defrauded investors of $200 million.
In a taped conversation one investor who allegedly lost millions in Weinstein’s schemes called him “Madoff number two.”
Bernard Madoff pleaded guilty last year to swindeling victims of billions of dollars. Rosenberg noted that most victims of Madoff and Weinstein are Jewish.
Video report below from News 12
Twice, the Jewish Defense League was mentioned, when in fact, the author of the article meant to state the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). I think that the author got his “leagues” mixed up.
Secondly, to blame these incidents on the worldwide economic slump, or the recent arrest of high profile Jews is ridiculous. These kinds of incidents have occurred even when the rate of unemployment was very low, and when no Jews were being arrested for white collar crimes. Whenever gentiles are arrested and convicted of serious white collar crimes, one does not see a corresponding attack on gentiles, as a result of those crimes.