In mid-February, the community of Staten Island made state-wide headlines after police say a 25-year-old Jewish man endured antisemitic slurs and was hit with a metal bat in Mariners Harbor simply for being Jewish.
Sadly, it's yet another story rooted in a hate crimes that have been on the rise following the fallout from the October 7 attacks on Israel. While nearly 5,700 miles away, those with Jewish heritage and beliefs remain a target of antisemitism from Israel to Staten Island.
The recent article from the Staten Island Advance speaks volumes: "Staten Island Jews can’t go it alone against antisemitism".
Thankfully, the local community in Staten Island are taking a stand together against antisemitism to ensure this kind of horrible act doesn't continue. Roughly 50 people gathered at Staten Island Borough Hall last month to voice their support for the victim and to help fight hate crimes in all forms.
"Fortunately, as this incident that happened in Mariners Harbor reminds us, there’s still much work to be done. So here today we promise that we’re going to prosecute this case to the full extent, we’re going to do everything we can to ensure that justice is delivered on behalf of the victim, who thankfully is recovering," said Andrew Crawford, of the Staten Island district attorney’s office.