Hundreds Rally To Protest Antisemitic Graffiti At Jewish Businesses

NEW ROCHELLE, NY — An overnight act of hate, just steps from the Jewish Community Center, was met with the love of a city and a promise to stand united against acts of antisemitism.

The New Rochelle Police Department is investigating the overnight vandalism at the Golden Horseshoe Shopping Center on the New Rochelle/Scarsdale border.

Police said security cameras at the shopping center captured the vandalism that took place around 4 a.m. on Thursday.

Workers who arrived Thursday morning at the stores that were targets of the vandalism, Scoop Shop and Cheryl's Closet, told Patch that the words "Genocide Supporters" were painted on the storefronts.

Both businesses have signs proclaiming, "We stand with Israel," according to neighboring shop owners.

Although the damage was captured on security cameras, an employee of one of the businesses vandalized, who did not want to be identified, told Patch the vandal was wearing a mask and a hood.

On Thursday afternoon, at least 200 supporters gathered at the shopping center to show support for the businesses and community members who were understandably frightened by the act of hate.

"If this can happen here, of all places, it can happen anywhere," Ruth Anders, who came to the shopping center to show her support, said. "We want to show that while this is frightening, we don't have to be scared if we stand together."

New Rochelle police are investigating the incident along with the Westchester County District Attorney's Office.

"We understand the unsettling atmosphere of fear across all impacted communities and the safety of our residents and businesses remains a top priority for law enforcement," Westchester County District Attorney Miriam Rocah and New Rochelle Police Commissioner Robert Gazzola said. "We have zero tolerance for hatred and bias in Westchester and we will use the full force of the law to hold perpetrators accountable and keep our communities safe."

The vandalism targeting stores in the New Rochelle neighborhood with a large Jewish population sent shockwaves in a city that prides itself on its diversity, as well as in Albany and Washington, D.C.

"We are deeply saddened and disturbed by the recent acts of antisemitism targeting two of our city's storefronts," the City of New Rochelle said in an official statement. "New Rochelle is built on the values of diversity, inclusion, and mutual respect. Hate crimes like the vandalization of Cheryl’s Closet and Scoop Shop have no place in our community and we vehemently condemn this behavior. We stand by our Jewish citizens and will not tolerate these types of attacks. The City of New Rochelle and its police department are working in collaboration with law enforcement agencies, including the Westchester County District Attorney, and the Scarsdale Police Department. Our commitment to supporting their efforts in investigating this incident remains steadfast. Property security inspections for local business and synagogues have been conducted and are underway. We plan to monitor the situation closely and inform all residents of any updates."

Westchester County Executive George Latimer, who spoke at the rally, released a statement calling the vandalism a "manifestation of hate."

"Such hatred as expressed in this act cannot be tolerated in Westchester County," Latimer said. "We will work with law enforcement to address this manifestation of hate."

New Rochelle's representative in the House condemned the act of hate, almost immediately.

“This morning, my team and I received reports of graffiti at the Golden Horseshoe shopping center in Scarsdale on a Jewish-owned store and we will continue to monitor the situation," Congressman Jamaal Bowman said in a statement released early Thursday. "While we await more information, we have sent a team member to the store to look at the area. Let me be clear: I strongly condemn antisemitic actions that target Jewish Americans because of their religion or conflate the actions of the Israeli government with our Jewish neighbors. Throughout history, vandalism has been used to target and harass Jewish communities, and the use of vandalism today against Jewish-owned shops here in our district is unacceptable. There is no place for vandalism or violence anywhere in our communities."

Bowman has been criticized for questioning some of the Israeli government's actions in response to the October 7 terror attacks. He drew a clear line between criticism of Israel and expressions of hate. Bowman denounced antisemitism in all forms.

"As we witness horrific tragedies unfold and see a rise in hatred across the world, it is more important than ever to remember that Jewish Americans are not responsible for the actions of the Israeli government, just as Arab Americans are not responsible for the actions of Hamas," Bowman said. "Our communities must come together in times of pain and grief to protect each other’s safety as we engage in hard conversations grounded in truth. Stoking divisions and hatred only prevents us from working towards our collective liberation. Instead, we must center our actions and conversations in truth, empathy, and our shared humanity as we work to protect human rights around the world and promote peace."

Meanwhile, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul called the action of the lone vandal "hateful" in public comments today.

"The community is traumatized," Hochul said. "You may think they’re only words on a sign or across a storefront, but it tears at you as a human being when you know that attack-full message, that hateful message, is meant for you."