Today, Tali Farhadian Weinstein, candidate for Manhattan district attorney, rallied in front of artist Bianca Romero’s unity mural on Delancey Street alongside advocates, community and faith leaders to denounce the recent uptick in violence against New York’s Jewish and Asian communities.
Watch video of the event here.
“We need to reckon with the shock of recent violence and hate specifically directed at Jewish and Asian communities,” said Tali Farhadian Weinstein. “What has occured over the course of the past year is horrific and unacceptable. And I am here to state unequivocally that antisemitism and hate have no place in New York. This is a time for solidarity and a call to action to do better.”
As a member of the New York State Bar Association Task Force on Hate Crimes and Domestic Terrorism, Tali recommended legislative and other reforms to better address acts of hate. She will draw on that expertise as district attorney. Her background as both a local and federal prosecutor has prepared her to hold the perpetrators of hateful attacks accountable, implement investigation and prosecution strategies that will prevent future incidents, and educate the public.
“As an immigrant who fled violence in my homeland as well as a prosecutor, I understand how hate can destabilize an entire community,” said Tali Farhadian Weinstein. “Hate crimes are different from other crimes — the underlying assault hurts the individual victim, but an entire community feels the effects and the inhibition and isolation that follow. These are our friends and neighbors, and as district attorney, I will ensure that we take every reported incident seriously, investigate fully, and prosecute fearlessly.”
Overall, hate crimes in New York climbed 73 percent in the first four months of 2021, to 180 from 104 in the same period in 2020. A 400 percent increase led to a spike in anti-Asian hate crimes (80 versus 16), and anti-Asian and anti-Jewish (54) bias attacks accounted for nearly 75 percent of the total reported so far this year.
“Having fled the violence and antisemitism of revolutionary Iran, Tali uniquely understands what our community is struggling with daily. As district attorney, I believe she will bring empathy to the letter and the spirit of the law and ensure the people of New York will be protected,” said Hugh Mo, Esq., AAPEX Chairman and former Deputy Police Commissioner of Trials.
Anti-Asian crimes represented a continuing upward trend: the NYPD reported 28 anti-Asian attacks in 2020, up from just 2 in 2019. Meanwhile, anti-Jewish attacks had dropped significantly – to 116 in 2020 from 242 in 2019, and continuing to decline into 2021 – before surging in May amid fighting in the Middle East. Between May 2 and May 23, the NYPD reported 26 anti-Jewish hate crimes, up from 4 in the year-ago period.
“In recent days and weeks, we have seen a surge of antisemitic incidents in New York, around the country and the world. Good people must stand up and say NO to antisemitism and all other forms of racism. I stand with Tali Farhadian Weinstein, whose entire career has been devoted to ensuring public safety and fighting against baseless hatred,” Joel Levy, former Senior US Foreign Service Officer, former Director of ADL’s NY Region and former President and CEO of the Center for Jewish History.
“Antisemitism is the worst it’s ever been in my lifetime and probably yours. Antisemitism is a virus of the mind – it transcends the boundaries of history, geography, political parties, and ideologies. We must condemn it swiftly and in unison. There is no place for hate in our city,” Rabbi Diana Fersko, The Village Temple.
“Anti Semitism is the oldest hatred and needs to be fought afresh in every generation. That anti semitism can still rear its ugly head even in New York City – one of the cities with the proudest and most robust Jewish life in the world – reminds us of the need to always be vigilant in the fight against hate,” Rabbi Joe Wolfson, OU-JLIC Downtown Student Community.
“It is up to all of us to ensure that Jews, as well as people of every religious, racial, ethnic, and national group, can live in a city where we feel safe and secure so that we may flourish, grow, and continue to enrich our shared communities. Our democracy will be stronger for it,” Rabbi Deena Gottlieb, Jewish Community Project of Lower Manhattan.
“Ellis Island’s presence is a constant reminder that New York readily welcomed Jews and other immigrant communities to this incredible city, promising them security at their time of need. Over a century later, at a time when many Jews are questioning their own safety in the city that we lovingly call “home,” we expect New York to again provide the protection we are seeking,” Rabbi Daniel Sherman, Upper West Side.
