The JCC
I picked an interesting time to re-join my Jewish Community Center, didn't I?
70 JCC's, in states from New York to Florida to California, have received bomb threats in recent weeks.
The most recent round, today, of threats included the Mid-Island Y in Plainview, NY. No, it isn't "my" JCC, I belong to another Y here on Long Island. But I've been in the Plainview building countless times. I was there just last week for an event.
It's scary when something like this happens. Scarier still when it happens so close to home.
I feel the same unease that I felt 9 year ago, when my synagogue was attacked.
It was a hot Sunday morning in August when I heard that the synagogue had been vandalized, that horrible antisemitic messages had been sprayed all over the synagogue walls. The worst of it could be concealed by huge white sheets until the building was power washed a few days later.
If that was not horrifying enough....
I drove over to the building to see the damage, and found myself in an encounter with ....
Well, he drove up to my car in his pickup truck, rolled down his window, and asked me "Are you Jewish?"
When I said yes, he replied "I feel sorry for you, because I hate Jews!"
When he saw me reaching for my cell phone, he drove away. I guess he didn't want an encounter with the Hate Crimes unit of our local police department.
I feel that same disquiet today....
70 JCC's, in states from New York to Florida to California, have received bomb threats in recent weeks.
The most recent round, today, of threats included the Mid-Island Y in Plainview, NY. No, it isn't "my" JCC, I belong to another Y here on Long Island. But I've been in the Plainview building countless times. I was there just last week for an event.
It's scary when something like this happens. Scarier still when it happens so close to home.
I feel the same unease that I felt 9 year ago, when my synagogue was attacked.
It was a hot Sunday morning in August when I heard that the synagogue had been vandalized, that horrible antisemitic messages had been sprayed all over the synagogue walls. The worst of it could be concealed by huge white sheets until the building was power washed a few days later.
If that was not horrifying enough....
I drove over to the building to see the damage, and found myself in an encounter with ....
Well, he drove up to my car in his pickup truck, rolled down his window, and asked me "Are you Jewish?"
When I said yes, he replied "I feel sorry for you, because I hate Jews!"
When he saw me reaching for my cell phone, he drove away. I guess he didn't want an encounter with the Hate Crimes unit of our local police department.
I feel that same disquiet today....
I'm so sorry. The election emboldened the idiots in our culture who think this sort of crap is okay. It's not. It's time to put this hate away. Sadly, I think some of these people won't let go of it.
ReplyDeleteHaving lived in certain areas of the country some 30 years ago, Songbird, I am truly not surprised. And it saddens me that there aren't people marching in the streets against hate. Not just hate against Jews, but all hate. Saddened, but again, not surprised. It says a lot, an awful lot, when you see who is coming out in support, who offers to help fix the cemeteries. Alana ramblinwitham.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteAgreed, Alana. It alarms me, but does not surprise me.
ReplyDelete