Tag Archives: Jewish Persecution

Jewish Student Senate Candidate Faces Anti-Semitic Questions

A group at Stanford University is coming under fire after a Jewish students who was seeking their endorsement for her student senate campaign was given an anti-Semitic question.

Molly Horwitz, during an interview with the school’s Students of Color Coalition, was asked if her strong Jewish identity would influence the way she voted on issues related to Israel.

Horwitz, who was born in Paraguay, had already submitted to the group an application where she had to explain reconciling her identity both as a Latina and a Jew.  She told the Anti-Defamation league and Stanford officials that she felt the questioning of her Jewish identity was “over the line.”

“It is not OK that they brought my Jewish identity into this and implied it might impact my decision-making ability,” Horwitz said in an email to the J. weekly. “I interpreted the question as anti-Semitic.”

Horwitz wrote an op-ed in the Stanford Daily asking for an apology from the group and admitted the question completely rattled her.

“The rest of the interview was a blur to me. I barely kept it together. As soon as I left the interview room I began shaking and hyperventilating. I replayed the incident over and over in my mind.”

The SOCC claims that the question was not a “litmus test” and that religious identity had nothing to do with the question.  The group refused to endorse Horwitz.

“We’ve seen this now on a number of campuses … [Jewish students] feeling like their Jewish identity is being called into question in terms of their ability to serve on various student bodies and to be impartial representatives,” said Vlad Khaykin, associate regional director of the ADL’s San Francisco-based Central Pacific Region.

European Anti-Semitism Surged In 2014

A new report shows that anti-Semitism rose 38 percent across Europe in 2014 although the crime levels have not reached the peaks of 2009.

The report from the Kantor Center for the Study of Contemporary European Jewry of Tel Aviv University recorded 766 official incidents of anti-Semitic violence or activity compared to 554 in 2013.

The conflict in Gaza was seen as a driving factor in the increase of anti-Semitism.

“Many streets in our European cities have become hunting grounds for Jews, and some Jews are now forced to avoid community institutions and synagogues as a result,” said European Jewish Congress President Moshe Kantor. “Some are choosing to leave the continent, many are afraid to walk the streets and even more are retreating behind high walls and barbed wire. This has become the new reality of Jewish life in Europe.”

Attacks on synagogues saw a whopping 70 percent increase over the previous year and arson attacks on Jews tripled.  France remained at the top of the list for violent anti-Semitic acts with 164, which is 23 more than the previous year.

Anti-Semitic incidents more than doubled in Germany and England saw a jump from 95 incidents in 2013 to 141 in 2014.

“We need a pan-EU body that will coordinate intelligence efforts between member state and the sharing of such information, assist with legislation changes to enable the member states to address this challenge with proper tools and deal with training and security measures in the protection of Jewish institutions by the authorities.” Kantor said. “The current system is failing to deal with this problem or to prevent the next attack.”

Palestinian Stabs 2 Israeli Soldiers in West Bank

A Palestinian terrorist attacked two Israeli soldiers with a knife on Wednesday, stabbing two before he was killed by one of the wounded soldiers.

One of the soldiers is in critical condition after being wounded in the neck.  Both wounded soldiers remain hospitalized in Jerusalem.

The attack happened 30 miles north of Jerusalem in the town of Shilo.  The attacker came from the nearby Palestinian town of Sinjil.

While Israel endured a series of attacks last year during the Passover holiday season last year, this attack highlighted the overall lack of attacks this year.

Israeli leaders praised the wounded soldier who shot and killed the attacker for his bravery and quick response.

“This should be the fate of anyone who harms innocent Jews,” Cabinet Minister Naftali Bennett told reporters. “This is how such a serious incident must end.”

Jewish Cemetery In Poland Defaced In Anti-Semitic Attack

Anti-Semitic vandals desecrated a Jewish cemetery near the site of “Bloody Wednesday” where Jewish men were gathered in the town square of Olkusz, Poland and beaten in 1940.

The vandals painted pentagrams on the tombstones they knocked over and destroyed.   They also painted the Polish name of Pope John Paul II on some stones.

“Bloody Wednesday” took place in Olkusz on July 31, 1940.  Soldiers went through the town gathering the Jewish men to bring to the town’s square.  The men were then severely beaten by the soldiers and residents of the town.

One of the most offensive moments was captured in photographs of the incident when Rabbi Moshe Yitzchak Hagerman is forced to stand barefoot standing over six Jewish men who were forced to lay on the ground in front of Nazi troops.  Hagerman was forced to wear a prayer shawl that the soldiers had urinated upon moments earlier.

Hagerman was killed in Majdanek in 1942.  The rest of the town’s Jews were shipped to Auschwitz in 1942 where most were killed.

Anti-Semitic Incidents In U.S. Jump 21 Percent

A new report from the Anti-Defamation League shows that anti-Semitic attacks in the United States jumped 21 percent in the last year.

The shocking statistics counter a ten year decline in attacks on Jews.

Abraham Foxman of the ADL says that “The United States still continues to be unique in history” when it comes to being a safe place for Jews.  However, the rise in incidents raises concern because 40 percent of the world’s Jews live in the U.S.

“It’s still different here than anywhere else, but don’t take anything for granted, and be concerned,” Foxman said.

The ADL researchers say that the rise is likely connected to the 50-day war where Islamic terrorists were attacking Israel.  Some of the incidents that were quoted in the report include vandals painting “Jews are killing innocent children” on a gate of a Jewish summer camp and spray painting “God Bless Gaza” on a synagogue in Massachusetts.

2014 also included a fatal shooting outside a Jewish Community Center in Overland Park, Kansas by an avowed anti-Semite.

Rabbi Victim of Anti-Semitic Vandalism In Dallas

A group of anti-Semitic vandals attacked the car of a Dallas area rabbi.

Rabbi Yaakov Rich leads a group worshiping at his home in Dallas.  The neighborhood’s Homeowners Association (HOA) tried to stop the group from having their times of worship and tried to sue the Rabbi to make him stop.  A court threw out the case last month.

Last week, the city of Dallas sued him to make improvements to the home if he wants to continue to hold services.

Then he came outside Thursday to find s swastika painted on his car.

“As a Jew, the swastika is the most offensive symbol that there is. They didn’t just attack me, they attacked every Jew in the City of Dallas. I am very grateful, however, that the members of Congregation Toras Chaim are banding together to ensure that there is no disruption in our activities,” Rabbi Rich told CBS Dallas.

Justin Butterfield of the Liberty Institute told CBS Dallas that this is not the first time the group has faced vandalism.

“In orthodox Jewish homes, there is a little box on the doorway with a scroll on it with a scripture on it, and in the past, somebody had ripped that off of the doorway.  They’ve also had people drive in front of the home screaming obscenities at them,” said Butterfield.

Man Shouts Death Threats At Miami Beach Jews

A man has been arrested on charges of assault and stalking after yelling death threats to members of a Miami Beach synagogue.

Diego Chaar accosted two members of the Ohev Shalom Congregation shouting “Allahu Akbar” and then threatened to cut off the heads of the synagogue’s members.

“That’s called assault. Threatening to kill,” said Rabbi Phineas Webberman. “His attitude was that this is his religious responsibility of carrying out killing infidels.”

The synagogue’s members rushed inside and called 911.

Charr denied saying anything and has been released on bond.

“It’s terrible,” Joe McCormack, a retired officer and longtime friend of Rabbi Webberman, told CBS Miami.  “How would you feel if I said ‘I’ll cut your head off you Jew.’ It shouldn’t be. It shouldn’t be allowed.”

The synagogue has hired extra security in the wake of the incident.

Wisconsin Sees Rise In Anti-Semitic Incidents

A new report from the Milwaukee Jewish Federation shows a significant increase in anti-Semitic incidents in Wisconsin in 2014.

The report shows 33 confirmed incidents of anti-Semitism in 2014 compared to 13 in the previous year.

“America is a great place to be Jewish. There is less anti-Semitism in this country than in many places across the globe,” Elana Kahn-Oren said.  “[However] hatred is hatred. And wherever it goes unchecked, it harms us all.”

The report gave examples of confirmed incidents:

  • At least nine swastikas were drawn, carved or painted at various places, including public streets, the driveway of a Jewish high school student’s home and in an elevator of a Jewish institution. Swastikas and a Star of David were carved at two golf greens, causing $5,000 in damage. Another included a reference to “1488,” a known white supremacist symbol.
  • A man entered a Jewish facility shouting “All Jews will (expletive) burn.”
  • At one business, a hairdresser told a potential client that she doesn’t cut “Jewish hair.” At another, an employee called his boss a “stingy Jew” when he refused to give him a raise.

Also a rally during the Hamas attacks on Israel this summer had protesters comparing Jews to Nazis and making anti-Semitic chants.

The group says despite the increase, it’s very likely the number of cases are under-reported as people do not want to deal with the hassle of police or the possibility of retribution for reporting the incident.

Auschwitz Survivors Warn Of Rising Anti-Semitism

The 70th year since the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp was marked with a solemn memorial by almost 300 survivors of the camp.

A million people were killed during the Holocaust at Auschwitz.

The event was an uneasy gathering for the survivors who say they see similar anti-Semitic violence in Europe and warn that it is still on the rise.

“We survivors do not want our past to be our children’s future,” survivor Roman Kent told the BBC.

“Once again young Jewish boys are afraid to wear yarmulkes [skullcaps] on the streets of Paris, Budapest, London and even Berlin,” added Ronald S. Lauder, president of the World Jewish Congress.

Hollywood director Steven Spielberg, who directed the Academy Award winning Schindler’s List, spoke at the event about how making that film and speaking to survivors changed his life and made him understand his Jewish heritage.  He also spoke about the rising anti-Semitism around the world.

“The most effective way we can combat this intolerance and honor those who survived and those who perished is to call on each other to do what the survivors have already done, to remember and to never forget,” Spielberg said.

The survivors said they will keep speaking out about the horrors of Auschwitz and the Holocaust until the day they die.

“I’ll do it for as long as I can. Why? There are still a lot of Holocaust-deniers the world over and if we don’t speak out, the world won’t know what happened,” said 85-year-old Renee Salt.

Israeli Student Attacked In New York Synagogue

An Israeli rabbinical student is in critical condition at a New York hospital after a man yelling “kill the Jews” attacked him in a Brooklyn synagogue.

“Levi had his hands up, trying to block the individual with his arms,” Mendy Notik, 22, told the New York Daily News. “He was saying. ‘I will kill you.’ And after Levi, he went towards another young student and he said ‘I will kill the Jews!'”

Peters was approached by members of the NYPD who told him to put down his knife.  Initially, Peters put down the knife and before he picked it up again and charged toward officer Roberto Pagan.  Pagan shot Peters in the stomach.

Rosenblat, 22, was rushed to trauma unit at Kings County Hospital and initially reported in stable condition before it was revealed he was transferred to Bellevue Hospital where he was in critical condition with bleeding on the brain according to police sources.

NYPD officials were quick to dismiss the attack as an act of terrorism, saying that the attacker was only mentally ill.

“We are very, very confident it’s not a terrorist-related act at this stage,” Bratton said. “There’s no indication that the subject … had any affiliation with any terrorist organization.”

Evan Bernstein, New York director of the Anti Defamation League, told USA Headline News that anti-Semitism has been on the rise around the world.

“We have definitely seen a surge in global anti-Semitism really since Operation Protective Edge, the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians,” Bernstein said.  “We’ve seen a dramatic uptick, especially in Europe, where instances over previous years is incredibly high.”

The NYPD announced they will have a greater security presence around synagogues with Hanukkah approaching next week.