WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES DECEMBER 17, 2020 13
United we stand, divided we fall
BY ELISEO LABAYEN
Not everything that is faced can
be changed, but nothing can be
changed until it is faced.
I am running for offi ce 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 graffi ti 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., fi ve Hasidic Jews
OP-ED
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 Nonprofi t 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 fi ghting 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 graffi ti in our midst.
Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice
everywhere.
Eliseo Labayen (@EliseoLabayen) is running
to represent City Council District 29,
which encompasses Forest Hills, Rego Park,
Kew Gardens and Richmond Hill.
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