Menorah in Coney Island Destroyed Amid Wave of Antisemitic Vandalism Incidents Across the World
by Dion J. Pierre
Vandalized menorah in Coney Island, New York. Photo: Twitter.
A menorah in the Coney Island section of Brooklyn, New York was vandalized this week.
Others across the world have met the same fate, according to several reports by StopAntisemitism, a US-based watchdog group, with similar incidents occurring in New York City, Beverly Hills, Berlin, as well as in Rockland, Maine, and Temuco, Chile.
“We are saddened to hear the Coney Island Chabad Menorah has been vandalized, adding to those globally that have also been broken or destroyed this Hanukkah season,” the group tweeted on Tuesday.
In another incident reported by StopAntisemitism on Thursday, a menorah that Chabad Israel Center had sculpted from ice and mounted on 93rd Street and Second Avenue in Manhattan, New York, was destroyed.
Before & After 💔 @JewsOfNY and @StopAntisemites are very sad to learn that the beautiful UES ice menorah, on 93rd & Second Avenue was vandalized and completely destroyed during the last night. Head over to our Instagram for the full statement from @RabbiVigler pic.twitter.com/25dutKMrFB
— Jews_of_NY (@JewsOfNY) December 22, 2022
Rabbi Uriel Vigler of the Chabad Israel Center, which put up the menorah, described the act as “malicious and intentional,” adding that “the ice was smashed from both sides.”
Incidents of vandalism in New York City are occurring during a massive surge in antisemitic hate crimes in the area. The New York City Police Department (NYPD) recorded 45 antisemitic hate crimes in November 2022. In November 2021, it recorded 20. According to the data, Jewish New Yorkers were the most targeted group, accounting for 60 percent of all hate crimes that occurred.
We are sickened to learn the Hanukkah menorah in Berlin, Germany was vandalized. pic.twitter.com/rR4nwBhSzZ
— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) December 24, 2022
On Friday, a New York City Fire Department (FDNY) firefighter was arrested for allegedly vandalizing in October a sukkah belonging to Chabad Israel Center, making the most recent incident the second time in three months that its religious decorations have been desecrated.
According to PIX 11, the firefighter, 37 year old Marty Party, is charged with criminal mischief for kicking the sukkah and urinating on it and has been suspended for four weeks without pay.
Follow reporter Dion J. Pierre at @DionJPierre.
