A rabbi in Merrick says there are Jewish people on Long Island who are now afraid to display their faith amid a rise in hate crimes state-wide.
The Anti-Defamation League has recorded a significant spike in antisemitic incidents across the United States. It estimates the antisemitic incidents are up a staggering 400% from the same time period last year.
"We're definitely feeling a sense of intimidation, and people are feeling a sense of anxiety that I have never seen before," said Rabbi Ira Ebbin, with Ohav Shalom.
The Council on American Islamic Relations says from Oct. 7 to Nov. 4, it received a total of 1,283 requests for help and reports of bias, which is a 216% increase over the previous year.
The president of Islamic Center of Long Island Amin Khwaja says with all of the turmoil overseas, emotions are high on Long Island.
Amin khwaja, president of the Islamic Center of Long Island said, “we live in one of the best places in the world we have to be able to respect each other, be able to listen, and show empathy.”
Both the rabbi and president of the Islamic Center agree that peace and tolerance is the answer, and the alarming rise in hate crimes needs to stop.