Three swastikas found in Cedarhurst Park playground

We are dismayed to learn that a local playground on Long Island was defaced with swastikas over the weekend — a craven and contemptible act of antisemitism with no place in our community, or any community.

This incident is particularly troubling for the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) Peninsula Section, because it was our funding and vision which built the vandalized playground in Andrew J. Parisi Park in Cedarhurst in 2001, the first Universally Accessible Playground in Nassau County.

NCJW is a campaign partner of the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism and a wide coalition of Jewish and non-Jewish groups, to raise awareness and empower all Americans to join us to prevent hatred and intolerance towards Jews. We need to drive home the message that while Jews make up just 2.4 percent of the U.S. population, we are the victims of 55 percent of all religious

hate crimes.

We are hopeful for a future without hatred and bigotry and are working to build a brighter future for the Jewish community on Long Island. It is incumbent on all of us — Jews and non-Jews — to stand up together against Jewish hate.

Fran Denny

President NCJW Peninsula Section