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A prominent Upper East Side synagogue was vandalized Friday in the latest string of anti-Israel protests across New York City, according to multiple reports.
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“It is shocking and it is distressing, and it is a reminder of the world outside and what we face as a Jewish community in this moment of time,” Park Avenue Synagogue’s Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove reportedly said at Friday night services.
The New York Post reports that the NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating but had not made any arrests as of Saturday.
“We are disheartened that our building was vandalized earlier today,” the synagogue posted on Instagram. “We are investigating. Be assured, the synagogue building is secure.”
The Jerusalem Post reports that a crowd had gathered outside the building in support of the synagogue, which is one of the largest in New York City. Park Avenue Synagogue and Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove have been outspoken in support of Israel, reportedly raising more than $16 million for Israel in November 2023.
City Councilmember Julie Menin, a former member of the Park Avenue Synagogue congregation, posted the following on X in response to the incident.
“As a former member of this congregation, I am disgusted by this vile antisemitic act. A house of worship is a sanctuary. Defacing it is an attack on all of us.”
Douglass Emhoff, Second Gentleman for the U.S. and husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, visited the synagogue in May according to an Instagram post from Cosgrove.
What a disgrace. I’m not surprised, others are. I saw this behavior during the BLM riots, and very few called that destruction out. This is the same pattern, and will not stop because a segment of our leaders favor these views and aims. Sad to see this happening over and over again, and I feel bad for the congregants of this synagogue.
Stop calling them anti-israel protests. They are antisemitic mobs. Even the governor, AG, and mayor compared them to the KKK last week.