Attendees demonstrate hate has no place in our community
More than 150 religious leaders, organizations and elected officials attended the Long Island March Against Anti-Semitism this past Sunday, denouncing the hateful and shameful attacks that have plagued the tristate area against members of the Jewish community the past several of months.
On the steps of the Theodore Roosevelt Executive and Legislative Building in Mineola, Nassau County Executive Laura Curran, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone, U.S. Senator Charles Schumer, Rabbi Anchelle Perl from the Chabad of Mineola, Congressmen Tom Suozzi and Peter King, Congresswoman Kathleen Rice and many others spoke to a crowd of an estimated 5,000 community members who came out against anti-Semitism.
“I want to thank each and every single one of you for coming out today,” Curran said to the crowd. “My heart is overwhelmed by this amazing showing. As you can see, we are Republican, we are Democrat, we are Nassau, we are Suffolk, we are Jewish, Christian, Sikh, Muslim, Buddhist and we are all together as human beings joining together to say that hate has no place here on our beautiful island. We are here together in solidarity to stand with our Jewish brothers and sisters to say that we have got your back.”
Showing a unified front, Bellone thanked Curran for bringing everyone together and reminded the crowd that this year’s Holocaust Remembrance Day on Jan. 27 is the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.
This past December, Nassau and Suffolk counties formed a bi-county coalition that will identify and develop a plan of action to combat and report acts of hate and bias incidents on the island. In conjunction with a number of organizations, Sunday’s march marked one of the task force’s inaugural initiatives.
Additionally, Schumer, Suozzi, King and others are sponsoring legislation to provide $360 million to protect synagogues and other houses of worship, having the federal government involved with local law enforcement to find and attempt to stop hate crimes.
Perl also thanked Curran for bringing everyone together and was amazed at the turnout that gathered at the front of the Legislature’s steps.
“It is always good to stand against to anti-Semitism, but we must also do something about it,” said Perl, who’s idea it was to have the march during a phone call with Curran. “We must be in front of anti-Semitism not behind it. Let’s inspire ourselves to be proactive.”
To further promote Holocaust education, Suozzi informed everyone that there is currently a bill in Congress called The Never Again Education Act that will promote Holocaust education in all public schools that can stop anti-Semitic attacks in schools and outside of them.
“We must continue to stand together united to stop the hate,” he said before leading the crowd to chant ‘stop the hate.’
Also in attendance at the post-march rally, were five Holocaust survivors, who Curran thanked for showing up. Lester Wolf, a former New York Congressman, who celebrated his 101st birthday on Jan. 4 and marched alongside Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy, also marched during Sunday’s support for anti-Semitism.
