Swastika Spray-Painted in Haredi-Heavy New York Suburb
Police are investigating an incident of anti-Semitic vandalism in a Rockland County, N.Y., community with a large haredi Orthodox population.
The graffiti, consisting of a swastika and the words “Hail Hitler” spray-painted inside a Jewish star were found on a sidewalk Sunday in the town of Spring Valley, The Associated Press reported.
Rabbi Yisroel Kahan, a local rabbi, told AP he suspects that poorly educated teenagers are responsible for the vandalism, pointing to the misspelling of the Nazi slogan. Some residents reported seeing two teenagers on skateboards over the weekend near the graffiti, radio station WCBS reported.
In July, there were two incidents of racist and anti-Semitic graffiti in nearby Pearl River.
Rockland County is approximately 50 miles north of New York City.
Why I became the Forward’s Editor-in-Chief
You are surely a friend of the Forward if you’re reading this. And so it’s with excitement and awe — of all that the Forward is, was, and will be — that I introduce myself to you as the Forward’s newest editor-in-chief.
And what a time to step into the leadership of this storied Jewish institution! For 129 years, the Forward has shaped and told the American Jewish story. I’m stepping in at an intense time for Jews the world over. We urgently need the Forward’s courageous, unflinching journalism — not only as a source of reliable information, but to provide inspiration, healing and hope.
