The Bergen County Jewish Action Committee (BCJAC) called on municipal, state, and federal authorities Thursday to take “decisive action and protective measures” in response to a campaign of harassment targeting the Jewish community and an event to be held in a Teaneck synagogue.
Pro-Palestinian Authority demonstrators issued public calls this week to protest an informational Israeli real estate program set to be held Sunday (March 10) at Congregation Keter Torah.
The Israel Real Estate Fair is taking place just a few hours before the start of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, a period in which radical Islamists escalate harassment, threats and attacks against Jews around the world.
As they have elsewhere in the United States and abroad in the wake of Israel’s defensive war against the terrorist group Hamas following the October 7th massacre, the pro-Hamas terror supporters have also escalated their attempts to target Teaneck’s Jewish community, which comprises about 40 percent of the town’s population.
According to BCJAC Spokesman Yigal Gross, “It is no coincidence that this random quiet New Jersey town has become such a flashpoint for pro-Palestinian activism. These protestors are here because we are here. They are seeking out and targeting Teaneck’s Jews.
“We support citizens’ right to free speech, but the right to worship is equally sacrosanct — which we worry they are now seeking to limit.”
On the same day, Congregation Keter Torah is also set to hold its annual “costume swap” — an event expected to attract hundreds of children and their parents — ahead of the upcoming Jewish holiday of Purim.
Gross told JewishPress.com that similar protests, including one in the neighboring town of Englewood, attracted unruly mobs from out of town and devolved into chaos with vandalism, violence and arrests.
“We can disagree on political issues, but we all have a responsibility to maintain a basic level of decency and decorum and preserve the peace and security to which everyone living in Teaneck is entitled,” he said.
Gross added that BCJAC, a grassroots coalition that advocates for the safety and well-being of Teaneck’s Jewish community, does not believe the pro-Hamas demonstrators represent the Muslim community of Teaneck.
“We believe there are bad actors trying to drive a wedge between Teaneck’s residents and to isolate and intimidate its Jewish community,” he said.
“Thankfully, they are failing in their efforts. Our community continues to stand strong and proud. The event will go on as planned, and we are thankful that neighbors of all background and faiths as well as local law enforcement are standing with our community in these difficult times.”
