East Meadow panel: When you see, hear antisemitism, say something 

Speakers at a panel discussion Sunday in East Meadow where attendees sought answers and support amid rising antisemitism emphasized the need to "not be silent," and report such acts to law enforcement.

The event at the East Meadow Beth-El Jewish Center was organized by the South Shore Synagogue Alliance, a partnership of 11 Long Island congregations, and took place a day after President Joe Biden marked the sixth anniversary of the mass shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue that killed 11 worshippers and is the deadliest act of antisemitism in U.S. history.

Among the panelists Sunday were members of law enforcement and Jewish leaders, who pointed to the 2018 Pittsburgh attack and the one launched by Hamas against Israel last October as two moments that have marked spikes in reports of anti-Jewish incidents.

In the audience of about 50 sat Iris Levin, 78, of Rockville Centre. Levin said she has sensed a new level of brashness and willingness to commit antisemitic acts.

"It’s as if people have the right to come out of the closet" and say things that are "harmful and hateful," Levin told Newsday. She came to the event "looking for unity — not only among Jewish people" but with others, to "work together to make this stop."

Whether it does, or at least is diminished, can be determined by how the community responds, said Joseph Oginski, a Nassau County police detective and a member of the panel.

If anyone witnesses or is the victim of an act of bias, Oginski said, it’s important to "not be silent." No matter if the incident seems small: "We take it seriously," he said.

Sunday's panel took place amid reports of a spike in antisemitic acts. The Anti-Defamation League, a Jewish advocacy group, recorded 8,873 antisemitic incidents — including assaults, harassment and vandalism — in 2023, a 140% increase over the previous year.

In Suffolk County last year, there were 48 reports of hate incidents against Jews, more than double the 19 from 2022, Newsday has reported. In Nassau County, there were 45 hate incidents against Jews in 2023, and 35 the year before.

And last month, a report commissioned by Gov. Kathy Hochul found that CUNY's policies for handling allegations of antisemitism needed to be "overhauled and updated in order to handle the levels of antisemitism and discrimination that exist on CUNY’s campuses today."

Several at the discussion said that posters containing the names and photos of Israeli hostages taken by Hamas after the Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel have been defaced. David Wayne, the past president of East Meadow Beth-El and the lead organizer of Sunday's event, said he hoped it would "give us tools" to address such incidents: "what to do, who to notify."

Israel declared war on Hamas after the attack, which killed 1,200. More than 42,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the war began, according to its Hamas-run health ministry.

Sherry Skolnick, a retired teacher from Bellmore, attended the panel discussion and acknowledged being a "a little bit naive," and "taken aback by the antisemitism in this country." Now, Skolnick added, she wanted to "get a better perspective on what’s going on and what we can do about it."

Alerting and cooperating with law enforcement is one way, said panelist Brittany Gurrieri, chief of the hate crimes unit in the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office.

When a crime has been inspired by bias or if a victim is chosen because of their protected status — such as race, religion, or sexuality — prosecutors can add a hate crime enhancement, Gurrieri said.

That could turn a misdemeanor into a felony. When dealing with bias crimes, she said, her office will "work with victims to arrive at an outcome that’s just for everyone."