December 04, 2020
THE WEEK’S BIG 3
Police in New Jersey are investigating an apparent hate crime after the carcass of a dead pig was left on the doorstep of a rabbi’s home in the town of Lakewood. Two online retailers briefly listed shirts for sale with the words “I survived the Holocough” emblazoned on them, referencing a white supremacist meme. A suspected member of the right-wing sovereign citizen movement was arrested at a Boston bus station carrying a gun and ammunition after purchasing ingredients that could be used to make explosives.
Read on for more on these headlines, news you can use to fight hate and the latest info about ADL from around the country.
1) New Jersey Police Investigate Dead Pig Placed Outside Rabbi’s Home During Shabbat
“The sinister incident occurred this past Saturday, as the local Jewish community was observing Shabbat. Authorities said the carcass of the pig was placed outside the rabbi’s home on Treetop Lane between the hours of midnight and 7 a.m. Lakewood police chief Greg Myer told local news outlet The Lakewood Scoop that the authorities were treating the incident as a ‘bias crime.’” Algemeiner: LEARN MORE
+ ADL New York/New Jersey tweet: “This incident is beyond horrifying & should be condemned by all…”
+ Jonathan Greenblatt tweet: “Our team in @ADL_NYNJ is on the ground working with authorities…”
2) Jewish Groups Call Out Online Retailers for Selling ‘Holocough’ Shirts
“The tweet linked to a Daily Beast article from September explaining that the term ‘Holocough’ was first documented in a meme on the encrypted messaging app Telegram in March and has since spread to ‘neo-Nazi groups already urging followers to cough on synagogues, and to lick items in Kosher aisles.’” Jewish Journal: FULL STORY
+ ADL Resource: Coronavirus and Antisemitism
3) Armed ‘Sovereign Citizen’ Arrested In Boston After Buying Explosive Ingredients
“City resident Pepo Herd El was apprehended Thursday night as he exited a bus at the downtown station. He had a loaded Glock pistol, three additional magazines filled with ammunition, a knife and a bulletproof vest, according to the statement from U.S. Attorney Andrew E. Lelling. He was also wearing a security guard jacket, though he is ‘not believed to work as a security guard.’” Huffington Post: READ MORE
+ ADL Resource: What is the Sovereign Citizen Movement?
KEY ADL SOCIAL STATEMENTS
- Deeply saddened to hear of the passing of James Wolfensohn, former president of the World Bank & a well-known philanthropist whose many important contributions to the world and the Jewish community will never be forgotten…
- Six Buddhist temples in CA have been vandalized this month, in what police are investigating as a #hate crime. We are glad authorities are on this case, as it is imperative for houses of worship to be protected from #hate…
- A reminder to schools to foster mutual understanding, respect and equity for the various religious & secular traditions celebrated during this time…
IN THE COMMUNITY
- Pressure mounts on Hampton official for 'offensive' statements (Seacoastonline, NH)
- In Sacramento, Proud Boys take to the streets, and they’re angry (Jewish News of Northern California)
- How right-wing extremism moved into mainstream America (San Jose Spotlight)
ADL IN THE NEWS
- Brendan Boyle’s Biden bet (Jewish Insider)
- Why some Americans are trading in mainstream social networks for ones that tout "freedom of speech" (CBS News)
- Stoking Palestinian delusions of a zero-sum victory (The Times of Israel – Kenneth Jacobson op-ed)