Chabad Covers Vandalized Sukkah

By COLlive reporter

A public Sukkah of Chabad Upper East Side in Manhattan that has been helping local and visiting Jews to celebrate Sukkos has been found vandalized on Sunday morning.

Graffiti reading “Free Gaza” was written on the sukkah located in the waterfront Carl Schurz Park near East 84th Street, the New York Post reported. Police officials who rushed to the scene believed the vandalism went down sometime between midnight and 8 a.m. Sunday.

The NYPD’s Hate Crime Task Force is investigating the graffiti as a possible bias incident, officials said.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted in response: “Defacing a sukkah is unacceptable and an attack on our city’s values. If you have any information on this act of vandalism, please contact the NYPD.”

“See for yourselves what relentless Jew-hatred looks like, right here in our backyard. Our beautiful public sukkah has been vandalized. These fools should be ashamed of themselves,” wrote Shlucha Devora Wilhelm.

“Our grandparents had no choice but to make secret Sukkahs in hiding. We will continue to be public and proud despite any morsel of animosity,” added Wilhelm who runs Chabad Young Professionals in the Upper East Side.

Eytan Sosnovich, who works at The Tikvah Fund and lives nearby, commented: “Tell me more about how anti-Israelism has nothing to do with antisemitism.”

Later on Sunday, Chabad Rabbis and community members gathered in front of the sukkah with spray paint and covered the hatful graffiti with welcoming messages, such as “Shalom” and “Sukkah of Unity.”

“This hate has no place in our city, that’s why we are responding with love, light and pride,” said Rabbi Ben Tzion Krasnianski, Executive Director of Chabad Upper East Side which sponsors the Sukkah.

“That’s why we are taking the Torah scrolls out to the street tomorrow night and invite the entire community to dance with us!” Rabbi Krasnianski said in a called for the Jewish community to participate in Simchas Torah celebrations.

“Desecrating a religious structure isn’t a political statement. It’s antisemitism, a pathetic act of hatred and ignorance,” tweeted Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), adding that his organization “stands with Chabad.”

VIDEO:

Today’s assignment brought me to the UES where a Sukkah tent had “Free Gaza” written on it by an unknown person. Rabbi Ben and members of Chabad UES cover it up with the words “Shalom” and “Sukkah of Unity.” #NYPD investigation is ongoing. pic.twitter.com/qjvZtwcxdU

— Shari Logan (@ShariMzCEO) September 30, 2018