FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, April 26
Contact: Logan Smith
[email protected]
202-709-8825

Bend the Arc condemns attacks on synagogues and mosques, calls for community-based solutions
We remain united in solidarity and call for community-based solutions to address hateful incidents

RIVERDALE, NY – Bend the Arc: Jewish Action and Bend the Arc: Jewish Action Riverdale released the following statements on Monday in response to recent acts of vandalism targeting Jewish synagogues in New York City, as well as other recent violence against the Muslim, Sikh, and Asian-American communities:

From Leah Ferster of Bend the Arc: Jewish Action Riverdale:

“The acts of vandalism on our synagogues are a brutal reminder of the threat of antisemitic violence against our people and our places of worship. As we demand an end to hate-fueled violence against our community and others, we must also demand more effective solutions that do not simply lead to more policing of our neighborhoods or pit our communities against each other. We must invest in anti-hate education, restorative justice, and community building, and find solutions that make us safe without threatening the safety of others.”

From Stosh Cotler, CEO of Bend the Arc: Jewish Action:

“We are horrified by the acts of vandalism targeting synagogues in New York and a mosque in Minnesota. Over the past few weeks, months, and years, we have seen a rise in attacks on faith communities and communities of color, from the recent violence against Sikh people in Indianapolis and Asian women in Atlanta to the ongoing epidemic of police violence against Black and brown communities.” 

“We refuse to let the violence against our communities tear us apart with distrust and fear, because we know that freedom and safety for any of us depends on the freedom and safety of all of us. We must dismantle the machinery of antisemitism; the same machinery used to target Black and brown people, Muslims, immigrants, and others. We will remain united in solidarity as we work together to build a society where everyone can live, work, love, and worship with freedom, safety, and belonging. One good place to start would be for the House to speedily pass the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, including the Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act, which would help improve the woefully inadequate job of tracking hate crimes across the country.”

Bend the Arc: Jewish Action is uniting a movement of tens of thousands of progressive Jews across the country who are fighting for justice and equality for all. We are the only national Jewish organization focused exclusively on social change in the United States.

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