By: Fern Sidman
Coney Island residents in the Warbasse and Trump housing complex are outraged over a symbol of racial and religious hatred that has infected their community. On Saturday, it was brought to the attention of residents that a swastika flag (which is synonymous with the Nazi movement) was seen hanging on the wall of an 18th floor apartment at 425 Neptune Avenue.
News12 reported that “community members say the flag has since been taken down, but they’re hoping that by speaking out, this won’t happen again.”
The sighting of this nightmarish symbol of genocide was of particular concern to those residents of the Amalgamated Warbasse Houses as many of them are descendants of Holocaust survivors, while many others fled oppressive totalitarian regimes to seek freedom in the United States.
According to a News12 report, City Councilman Mark Treyger addressed members of the community at the Warbasse Jewish Heritage Congregation on Monday. He said of the symbolism of the swastika represents an “ideology of hate, murder and bloodshed.”He added that “it is deeply painful every time a survivor sees that symbol.”
News12 reported that Treyger had reported the swastika flag to police but was told that a banner being displayed inside a home is not a crime.
Community member Ari Kagan said that the swastika flag was meant to invoke fear and that we must stand united against this kind of intimidation.
The president of the Amalgamated Warbasse Houses, Michael Silverman, distributed a letter to Warbasse residents on behalf of the board of directors and management on Monday.
The January 4th letter by Silverman said of the pernicious swastika flag, “In an area with a large amount of Holocaust survivors, WWII and more recent Veterans who fought for this country and its freedoms, as well as children and grandchildren of these heroes and Holocaust survivors, this highly visible display has a chilling effect.”
He added that: “Since Governor Cuomo signed an executive order outlawing the hanging of the Nazi flag or scrawling swastikas onto public property or someone else’s property, we are reviewing this executive order to see how it may apply here.”
Mr. Silverman also said that Councilman Treyger has been in contact with the NYPD Hate Crimes Unit and is in touch with executives of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, with the hope that they will offer Warbasse residents an educational forum on the Holocaust through Zoom, so that everyone can attend.
Treyger hopes to prevent incidents like this from happening in the future through dialogue and education.
City Council candidate Steven Patzer, who is running against Alec Brook-Krasny and Ari Kagan, pounced on the issue, writing the following on Facebook:
“In response to the Nazi flag that can easily be seen by locals in surrounding Warbasse Houses buildings, I have asked leadership at the Simon Wiesenthal Center and Warbasse Houses to send a letter to the resident to outline the history of the hate symbol in addition to being courteous to their neighbors. I have heard that Warbasse security already paid the resident a visit about this. Jews of all backgrounds fled from parts of Europe to escape the infiltration of Nazis from Germany whose goal was to imperialize and plunder surrounding nations and exterminate anything in their way.
“The only place I want to be reminded about that is in a classroom about fighting back against hate and anti-Semitism. This kind of anti-Semitic sentiment will not be tolerated and I will not stand by idly and pretend I did not hear about it. We are taking action. And a reminder to our neighbors, people can see into your homes if your window shades are up! People are watching.”
