OP-ED
UNITED WE STAND, DIVIDED WE FALL
ON THE WEB
VISIT US ONLINE AT QNS.COM
CHECK OUT OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES:
www.facebook.com/timesledger
www.twitter.com/TimesLedger
www.instagram.com/qnsgram
TIMESLEDGER | QNS.COM | DEC. 18-DEC. 24, 2020 13
BY ELISEO LABAYEN
Not everything that is
faced can be changed, but
nothing can be changed until
it is faced.
I am running for office because
there are a plethora of
issues impacting my community
all at the same time; one
of those issues is the rise in
anti-Semitism. Forest Hills,
like many communities across
the country, is seeing a rise in
anti-Semitism. As a community,
we must combat it from
the graffiti in our parks and
schools to the misinformation
being circulated through
cyberspace.
According to the Anti-
Defamation League, “there
were 1,879 incidents of anti-
Semitism in the United States
in 2018, including more than
1,000 instances of harassment.”
In Pittsburgh, a gunman
stormed the Tree of Life
synagogue, killing 11 in attendance
and wounding six more.
In Monsey, N.Y., five Hasidic
Jews celebrating Hanukkah
in the home of rabbi Chaim
Rottenberg were attacked by
a machete-wielding intruder.
In Rego Park, a student was arrested
for drawing swastikas
across his schoolyard. This
disturbing rise in hate must be
met with action by our elected
representatives. If elected, I intend
to combat this rise in hate
through education, funding
and law enforcement.
First, according to the New
York Times, “In November, the
Anti-Defamation League expanded
an anti-bias education
program it started in Brooklyn
in 2018 with a goal of bringing
it to 40 schools. Eric L. Adams,
the Brooklyn borough
president, praised the program
when the expansion was
announced.”
The program, No Place for
Hate, is “designed to create inclusive
school communities by
promoting unity and respect,
and empowering students to
reduce bullying, name-calling,
and other expressions of bias.”
We need to bring this program
to our schools here in NYC
Council District 29. Additionally,
we need to mandate Holocaust
education to serve as an
additional deterrent. I agree
with and support Governor
Cuomo’s pledge to require students
across New York to visit
museums providing education
related to the Holocaust.
Second, we must ensure that
our synagogues and community
centers have the security
funding needed to safeguard
themselves from another potential
attack. According to
Patch, “Congress allocated $90
million to its Nonprofit Security
Grant program in December
2019. The grants will be available
to high-risk synagogues,
mosques, churches and community
centers across New
York City.” Applications to
this funding must go through
FEMA and our elected representatives
should be educating
and encouraging those who
need access to this capital.
Finally, our communities
must work hand in glove with
the NYPD Hate Crime Task
Force. This specialized unit is
experienced in and dedicated
to bias-crime prevention. To
get in contact with this unit
call 888-440-HATE or email
hctf@nypd.org.
If elected, my role in government
would be local but
that would not inhibit me
from fighting on this issue on
a statewide or national level;
too much is at stake for our
city. I also intend to advocate
for our ongoing commitment
and alliance to Israel. Israel
is not an apartheid state and
boycott, divestment and sanctions
are not an answer to our
staunchest ally in the Middle
East. I stand against any such
position whether made by an
elected representative or by
graffiti in our midst. Injustice
anywhere is a threat to justice
everywhere.
Eliseo Labayen (@Eliseo
Labayen) is running to
represent City Council District
29, which encompasses Forest
Hills, Rego Park, Kew Gardens
and Richmond Hill.
LETTERS POLICY
Letters should be typed or neatly handwritten, and those longer than 300
words may be edited for brevity and clarity. All letters must include the
writer’s name and phone number for verifi cation. Names may be withheld
from publication if requested, but anonymously sent letters will not be
printed. Letters must be received by Thursday noon to appear in the next
week’s paper. All letters become the property of Schneps Media and may
be republished in any format.
LAST WEEK’S TOP STORY:
Parents blast Ridgewood school for lack of in-person
teaching of blended learning classes
SUMMARY: About a dozen parents gathered in front of P.S. 71
Forest Elementary School in protest of what they say is lackluster
in-person instruction on Tuesday, Dec. 8.
/QNS.COM
/TimesLedger
/qnsgram
link
/QNS.COM
/timesledger
/timesledger
/TimesLedger
/qnsgram
link
