Vandalism last year at a Jewish cemetery in the
Town of Warwick
NEWBURGH – With an uptick in anti-Semitism in Orange County, particularly since last year’s desecration of a cemetery in the Town of Warwick, the Jewish Federation of Greater Orange County is commencing an initiative.
There have been several incidents involving students across the county including harassment, intimidation and bullying at schools; distribution of hate propaganda using school listservers and desecration of burial grounds.
Suzanne Leon, executive director of the Jewish Federation, said the approach to combat the scourge will be multi-faceted.
“The programs that we will undertake include teacher training for middle school and high school English and social studies teachers, Holocaust education assemblies in schools and public lectures on the rise of hate groups in American society,” Leon said. “Ultimately the goal is to promote greater understanding and tolerance of the various cultures that live in Orange County.”
The Jewish Federation is offering a $10,000 reward leading to an arrest in the Warwick cemetery desecration.
Federation President Carla Wise said hopefully public lectures bring in parents of the children, who often set the tone at home.
The initiative is being funded by a $50,000 gift to create a new Fund to Combat Local Anti-Semitism in Orange County.
