Dear congregants and friends,

We begin this new year under the same threat that’s plagued our community through all of history.

In December alone there were at least 13 anti-Jewish attacks in New York, including a vicious machete attack at a Hanukkah celebration in Monsey that left five injured. And across the river in Jersey City, two gunmen stormed a kosher grocery store, killing three people – two of whom were Orthodox Jews. The victims in these attacks were targeted because they were visibly Jewish.

Anti-Semitism is the most dangerous social virus in the history of civilization. It is a phenomenon of both the right and the left – and it has become increasingly violent in our time.

That these attacks are happening here, on the streets of our city, is an outrage. Kol Yisrael arevin ze bazeh – all Jews are responsible one for the other. The fear and pain of any Jew is the fear and pain of all Jews.

In that spirit, this Sunday we are joining together with the rest of New York’s Jewish community to march through and reclaim our streets — proud, united, and strong. This city’s 1.5 million Jews will not stand down. We will not be intimidated.

We will gather at Stephen Wise Free Synagogue at 10:15 a.m. this Sunday, January 5, before heading to Foley Square and marching into Brooklyn together. For more details about the march, visit ujafedny.org/marchnyc.

Our Religious School classes will meet according to the normal schedule; if any students want to participate in the march with their parents, please let us know they will not be attending regular class by emailing us at  religiousschool@swfs.org.

Join us for this peaceful show of force and solidarity as we take back our streets.

Sincerely,
Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch
Cantor Daniel Singer
Rabbi Samantha Natov
Rabbi Shira Gluck
Rabbi Rena Rifkin