By COLlive reporter
In light of the uptick in anti-Semitic attacks on Jews across the city, the NYPD said Wednesday it will boost its presence in predominantly Jewish neighborhoods and near Jewish institutions during the upcoming High Holy Days.
The NYPD hosted their annual High Holiday security briefing Wednesday at Police Headquarters to discuss security around Shuls and Jewish centers ahead of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
Many community members and prominent religious leaders attended the briefing, addressed by chaplain Rabbi Alvin Kass, who said the increase in attacks on Jewish New Yorkers has cast a cloud over the holiday season.
“The NYPD is working with the Jewish community to keep them safe,” Mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted Wednesday afternoon. “They will be increasing neighborhood patrols and deploying specialized units.
This year the NYPD reported a 63 percent increase in anti-Semitic hate crimes in the city.