Sholem Aleichem Cultural Center, a Jewish center located at 3301 Bainbridge Avenue in the Norwood section of The Bronx, was vandalized on Tuesday, Oct. 31, police said.

 

It comes as reports of antisemitism and Islamophobia rise across the City in the wake of the escalation of tensions in the Middle East following the attack by Hamas on southern Israel (close to the Gaza strip in Palestine) on Oct. 7, as reported.

 

On Wednesday, Nov. 1, police were seen outside the center, which was cordoned off, carrying out an investigation. Spray-painted in the colors purple and black on the front-facing wall of the building were the words “Free Palestine.”

The NYPD press team later said the person who reported the crime said she had been made aware by a neighbor that the front of the building and the door had been vandalized with black and purple paint with the words, “Free Palestine.”

 

Police said they estimate the incident occurred on Halloween night, Oct. 31, some time between 10.15 p.m. and 10.30 p.m. The spokesperson added, “They don’t have any suspect description in here.”

The spokesperson said the incident has been classified as “criminal mischief” but that details had been shared with the NYPD Hate Crimes Unit for further potential classification. The graffiti has since been removed.

 

Norwood News reached out to Sholem Aleichem Cultural Center for comment on the incident. Itzik Gottesman, co-president of the center,  was not in New York at the time it occurred. He said he believes nothing was broken and that it was just graffiti. Asked if anybody was hurt, he said, “no.”

 

We also reached out to local Councilman Eric Dinowitz (C.D. 11), who is Jewish, for comment. He responded, saying, “The recent vandalism at the Sholem Aleichem Cultural Center in Norwood is nothing short of abhorrent and repugnant. As the representative of this area, as well as the chair of the Council’s Jewish Caucus, I vehemently condemn such acts, which not only target a Jewish cultural institution but also propagate division and casts a dark shadow over the harmony of our diverse community. Make no mistake, this vandalism is not at all fighting for any kind of ‘justice,’ nor is it free speech—it’s antisemitism.”

 

He continued, “In the wake of the recent traumatic events in Israel on October 7th, our Jewish community is already reeling. This act serves as a cruel reminder of the need to eradicate such bigotry and hatred. This vandalism unequivocally targets the Jewish community and is a clear act of antisemitism. We cannot and will not accept it.”

Local State Sen. Gustavo Rivera (S.D. 33) said of the incident, “Community centers should be safe spaces for New Yorkers. I’m appalled that a Jewish cultural center in my district was vandalized. I’m deeply concerned by the surge of antisemitism and other hate crimes in New York. Perpetuating hatred and fear cannot and won’t be tolerated.”

 

Assembly Member Jeffrey Dinowitz (A.D. 81), who is Jewish, father to Councilman Dinowitz, and represents some but not all of Norwood, also issued a statement on the vandalism of the center saying, “Antisemitism has skyrocketed since the terrorist attack by Hamas against innocent people in Israel, he said. Referring to the Norwood incident, he continued, “This vandalism is another example of that antisemitism. Writing ‘Free Palestine’ or anything on a Jewish Institution is an apparent attack against the Jewish Community.”

He added, “Nonetheless, the act of vandalizing the Sholem Aleichem Cultural Center in the Bronx with the words ‘Free Palestine’ is not solely an expression of anti-Zionism; it has antisemitic connotations. Moreover, the celebration of mass violence against Jews under the guise of ‘resistance,’  the call for widespread harm to Jews through the slogan, ‘globalize the intifada,’ and the involvement of large-scale violence against Jews on October 7th transcend the boundaries of anti-Zionism; they inherently embody antisemitism.”

 

For those wishing to donate to help humanitarian efforts in the region, UNICEF is coordinating aid for those affected by the conflict. Visit https://www.unicefusa.org/.

To read our previous coverage on this topic, the local impact of the latest tensions in the Middle East, click here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here, as well as the referenced recent op-ed.

 

For our previous coverage on similar attacks on Bronx synagogues and their aftermath, click here, here, here, and here.