Williamsburg Shul Window Smashed, Woman’s Wig Pulled, on Rosh Hashanah

A shul window was smashed in Williamsburg, and an Orthodox woman’s wig was pulled down in the same neighborhood, according to the NYPD, Williamsburg Shomrim, and the WILLIAMSBURG NEWS Twitter feed (@WMSBG).

Surveillance video shows five youths approaching a shul at Throop Avenue and Bartlett Street at 5:29 p.m. Monday, the first day of Rosh Hashanah. The youths kicked the door and threw a milk crate and metal object at the windows, causing a window to break.

The group includes three black males and two black females, who appear to be approximately 12-15 years of age.

Elected officials decried the incident.

“This is a shocking act of hate,” tweeted Mayor Bill de Blasio. “We WILL find the perpetrators and hold them responsible.”

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a statement that he is “disgusted and enraged by yet another anti-Semitic act of vandalism.”

Gov. Cuomo said he is directing the New York State Police Hate Crimes Task Force to offer assistance to the NYPD during this investigation.

“This incident unfortunately underscores the need for State Police to increase their patrols around houses of worship during the Jewish high holidays this year,” said Cuomo. “In New York we have no tolerance for hate and I continue to join with our Jewish community and work to ensure the new year is one of peace, protection and well-being.”

This was the second apparent anti-Semitic hate crime in Williamsburg over Rosh Hashanah. On Sunday night, a young man tried pulling off the wig and scarf of a Jewish woman who was wheeling a baby carriage while walking with her family.

New York Attorney General Letitia James’ tweeted, “The several acts of anti-Semitism in Brooklyn on Rosh Hashanah are unacceptable and must be addressed. There is no room for this kind of disgusting hate in Brooklyn or anywhere else in our state.”

There has been a sharp rise in hate crimes, particularly anti-Semitic incidents, in New York in 2019, with Williamsburg one of the hardest-hit neighborhoods.

Across the city, there have been 161 reported anti-Semitic crimes this year through September 29, out of 311 total reported hate crimes. During the same period of 2018, there were 105 anti-Semitic incidents out of 233 hate crimes.

Approximately 80% of anti-Semitic crimes have been property crimes, the vast majority of which included the scrawling of a swastika.

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rborchardt@hamodia.com