New York, NY, April 28, 2016 … Reacting to a string of swastika vandalism in Brooklyn, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today expressed particular concern over the timing during the Passover holiday.
According to reports, swastikas were found drawn in several locations in the Marine Park neighborhood earlier this week, including on the front door of a residential building near East 35th Street and Avenue S, a residential gate, two garbage cans, and a traffic control box. Law enforcement is currently searching for a suspect in connection to these crimes.
“It’s deeply concerning, particularly as Jews are in the midst of celebrating their freedom on the Passover holiday, to see swastikas scrawled out on numerous locations in the same neighborhood,” said Evan R. Bernstein, ADL New York Regional Director. “Unfortunately, Brooklyn was not alone in suffering from anti-Semitic vandalism during Passover, as we saw similarly in Denver earlier this week.
“In its usual diligent form, NYPD is taking anti-Semitic incidents seriously, and we welcome their investigation as a potential bias crime,” Mr. Bernstein added.
Since the end of 2015, ADL has documented a series of anti-Semitic incidents in Brooklyn, including on April 3, when an apartment building in Borough Park was vandalized with the words “F—Jews.
Anyone with information regarding incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477).
The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world’s leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry. Follow us on Twitter: @ADL_News