2 Men Arrested in Threats to New York Jewish Community, Police Say (New York Times)
“There is no place in this country for anti-Semitism,” the official said. “We are sending a clear message that we will not be intimidated.”
I have had the most interesting discussion with two fellow travelers from the American Jewish Committee (AJC) this morning.
The conversation started when I said I am writing a book based on the experiences of a recent immigrant to America.
And asked about the Jewish community’s response to the wave of anti-Semitism that has swept across the country.
Here is what I said to the two travelers, who are affiliated with the AJC, or former AJC board members, or AJC staff, or what have you:
I have been reading and listening to a lot about Jewish life in New York City for the last few days. I don’t know if I have met any of you in person since I have had my meeting with the Mayor, but I did talk to him and some of his New York City staffers. I found the entire meeting to be very productive. The Mayor was very well mannered and polite, and, overall, he was very supportive, in both his tone and his actions.
AJC staff was very friendly and welcoming, and I think they are good people. The Mayor did a good job, I think, of presenting a vision for our community and for New York City, but he also was very clear about the reality of a very complex situation. And he expressed his deep displeasure with the current situation, but also said he has a duty to be sensitive to the feelings of people who live in the communities that he is charged with trying to help.
So I want to address what happened last night in Brooklyn. I want to talk about recent history in our community and what is happening in the city right now.
Last night, I watched a short video sent to the news by the New York City Councilman, David Greenfield, which was very, very effective.