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QUEENS WEEKLY, JANUARY 19, 2020
‘We will never go quietly into the night’
Queens voices unify against hate at Forest Hills rally amid spate of anti-Semitic attacks
BY TODD MAISEL
Several hundred people
jammed into MacDonald
Park in Queens on Jan. 12,
where Jewish leaders and
representatives of various
faiths demonstrated a united
stance against hate and
anti-Semitism.
Demonstrators carried
signs showing their dismay
over the hate attacks,
especially after the Hanukkah
stabbing attack at
a rabbi’s home in upstate
Monsey and the murder of
four people at a kosher supermarket
in Jersey City
last month. Both violent
acts were hate crimes.
Members of the ecumenical
crowd spoke at
this rally, while elected
officials stood back and
watched. Rabbis, imams,
priests and other orthodox
Jewish leaders slammed
the attacks.
Ethan Felder, an organizer
of the event and an
assistant general counsel
for the SEIU union said,
“No racist organization
will ever destroy American
aspirations.”
“I am a proud American
Jew and we are one
borough and we are better
together – and there are
those who are here who are
not Jewish and we thank
you for being here with
us,” Felder said. “We have
always been a borough
of faith and family for all
people and we will not let
racists change that.”
Jeff Kohn, an organizer
of the event, said, “Jews
who are visibly Jewish are
under attack in our city.”
He said they are both being
physically and verbally
abused, and “when those
who stay silent and do not
speak up, all Jews suffer.”
He recalled his own
grandfather, Moshe Kohn,
who when he was 17 in
Nazi Germany. The Nazis
had burned his shul down
and destroyed his parents’
business.
“One of 10 children, he
and his brother and sister
fled Germany. His parents
sent them away so that
‘things could settle down’
– ‘this too shall pass.’ He
Hundreds of Queens residents stood together at McDonald Park to demonstrate against hate and anti-Semitism. Photo by Todd Maisel
would never see his parents
again. We will never
go quietly into the night,”
Kohn said.
Amy Geffen stood with
friends holding signs
against hate. She said she
worries that this could get
worse.
“We are here because
this country is turning
into police state, there is
too much violence,” Geffen
said. “This is not German
in 1939. This is the United
States in 2020, and we have
to make sure people are
safe, no matter their ethnicity,
their background or
their religion.”
A line of children were
also on hand from the Reform
Temple of Forest Hills
holding a banner for their
school.
“We are here to stop
hate, and stop anti-Semitism
– people are being
mean to Jews, and we
need to make people not
being mean to Jews or
anyone, other wise we are
in danger,” said 8-yearold
Lily Goldfarb of
Forest Hills.
District Attorney Melinda
Katz stood by listening
to the speakers, ready
to prosecute anyone who
attacks people out of hate.
But she said it was important
for all religious institutions
to stand together
on the issue.
“This is a great time to
be a Queens resident – we
are all getting together in
central Queens because
when one of us attacked it is
important show people that
we will all stand together,”
Katz said. “Whether it is a
mosque or synagogue, an
African-American Church,
all religious institutions
have to make sure we have
each others back.”
Photo by Todd Maisel
Photo by Dean Moses