 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
CARRION REPAIRS VANDALIZED SYNAGOGUE Speaks out against vandalism directed at synagogue BRONX, NY- Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion, Jr. today announced that he would be donating $2,000 to replace broken stain- glassed windows of the Educational Jewish Center, a synagogue located at 805 Astor Avenue in the Pelham Parkway area of the Bronx, that was recently vandalized. Last Tuesday, several teenagers were seen throwing rocks through the windows of 55 years old synagogue that at its peak had nearly 400 families regularly attending services. Today, the synagogue has approximately 50 elderly congregation members. “I am making this contribution today to send a message that the hateful activities of these youth do not represent the community in which they happen to reside. Every Bronx resident takes great pride in the diversity of our neighborhoods and our desire to live respectfully in a global city,” said Carrion. “We’ve made great strides in bringing people together in the Bronx and we’re not going to let one incident set up back. I urge the Police Department to track down the youth who committed these crimes to ensure that this synagogue and others in the neighborhood are not vandalized again.” Carrión has made it a priority of his administration to improve intergroup relations in the Bronx. Despite this recent incident, he has sought to bring a stop to hate crimes in the Bronx. As a result of his work and others, there has been a 60% decrease in Jewish bias crimes in the Bronx in the last three years alone. In 2004, Carrión organized efforts to speak out against Thomas Zibelli, a Bronx resident with ties to a Neo- Nazi group, recruited teens to put “White Power,” “Hitler was Right,” and “Stop Non-White Immigration” stickers around the Bronx synagogues. Zibelli targeted Jewish neighborhoods and wanted to harass Jews before the High Holy Days. Carrión organized a press conference of elected officials, police officers, community leaders, clergy – representing different races and religions- to stand with him to speak out against Zibelli’s crimes. Zibelli was arrested at his home in the Bronx and charged with Hate Crimes for a jail sentence of up to eight years. # # # |
||
851
Grand Concourse, Bronx, NY 10451 |
||