The number of anti-Semitic incidents on Long Island continued to grow last week with a reported arson fire in the woods behind a synagogue, the arrest of three juveniles — one Jewish — for making a series of anti-Semitic phone calls to a Dix Hills rabbi, and the desecration of a Jewish day camp with swastikas and anti-Semitic obscenities. The rise in anti-Semitic acts was reported by contributing editor Stewart Ain in this week’s issue of the Long Island Jewish World.
The fire near the East Northport Jewish Center was quickly discovered by neighbors and did little damage. A swastika was discovered painted on the near driveway, which police believe was also the work of an arsonist, according to the synagogue’s rabbi, Stanley Wernick. Police were still hunting last week for the persons who set the fire at the synagogue and desecrated the campgrounds. The fire was the first such anti-Semitic incident at the synagogue in more than a year, Wernick noted.
The first desecration of the Henry Kaufman Campgrounds in Wheatley Heights was reported last week by the camp program director of the Mid-Island YM-YWHA, one of seven Jewish groups that have camp space in the 400-acre-camp-site. Swastikas and anti-Semitic obscenities were found on the walls of the camp shelters, and on tables, volley ball poles, the bases of water fountains, and on the street. Esther Marks, the director said youngsters were both
frightened and shocked at the obscenities. “As they sat at the tables and saw these four-letter words used in anti-Semitic statements, they wanted to know why someone would say such bad things about Jews,” she recalled. “They couldn’t believe it. They kept asking, ‘Who would write this?”
Meanwhile, police arrested three youngsters who, for one month, had been plaguing a Dix Hills rabbi and his family with anti-Semitic phone calls. Two of the boys are 14 and the third is a 13-year-old Jewish boy who is scheduled to be bar mitzvah in a month. Two live on the same block as the victim and the third lives a block away.
The youngsters were caught about four days after police put a tap on the phone to trace the calls. The calls traced by police were made from each of the defendants’ homes. The identity of the defendants was not released because of their ages. They have been released in their parents’ custody pending Family Court action.
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