Rockland County, NY - Swastika painted near Jewish activist's New City home

NEW CITY — A Nazi symbol of hatred was found Monday, spray-painted near the home of a prominent Jewish activist whose parents survived the Holocaust.

The blue swastika on Lady Godiva Way brought out the Clarkstown police and concerned residents of the diverse neighborhood off of Congers Road.

Steve Gold, a resident of 19 years, said seeing the symbol sent a chill through his body.

Gold and his wife, Helene, are being honored this month by the Holocaust Museum and Study Center in Spring Valley.

“When I saw it, I felt like I got a stake in my heart,” Gold said. “I haven’t stopped shaking. I am a big advocate of ‘we should never forget.’ I am always talking about it. This is too close to home.”

Gold played a prominent role in the Rockland JCC’s worldwide campaign to pressure Olympic officials to honor the 11 Israelis killed by terrorists at the 1972 Munich games with a moment of silence at this year’s games in Great Britain.

The International Olympic Committee denied the request, leading the widows and advocates like the JCC to vow to take up the cause again for the 2016 games in Brazil.

Clarkstown police are investigating the incident and have interviewed Gold and his neighbors.

Gold said a neighbor noticed the swastika at 7:30 a.m. Monday. He said they believe someone spray-painted it overnight because it wasn’t there on Sunday.

Gold said he hopes the symbol was a prank and not a message meant for him or anyone else in the neighborhood.

“We’re all a little concerned,” he said.

The swastika drew condemnations from several elected officials and the Holocaust center.

“The museum tries to teach tolerance and the history of the Holocaust to our community for exactly this reason,” said Paul Galan, president of the Holocaust Museum and Study Center.

He said Rockland “should stand together and voice its revulsion at the existence of the elements of hate, division and intolerance in our community.”

Rep. Nita Lowey, a Democrat whose redrawn district includes Rockland County and parts of Westchester County, called the spraying-painting religious “hate speech” that cannot be tolerated.

“I am outraged by anti-Semitic vandalism in New City near the home of a prominent member of the Jewish community whose parents survived the Holocaust,” Lowey said in a statement.

State Sen. David Carlucci, D-New City, also condemned the incident, which came a day before Sukkot and days after the holy days of Yom Kippur, the day of atonement, and the Jewish New Year of Rosh Hashana.

“Hatred and vandalism cannot go unpunished by those who seek to instill fear in our community,” Carlucci said.

Police said they are investigating the incident as a hate crime but don’t know if the swastika was a targeted act.

 

Anyone with information may call the Clarkstown Police Department at 845-639-5800 or the anonymous Tips Line at 877-639-6233.

 

  BY Steve Lieberman Lohud.com