local
Antisemitic Flyers
Distributed in
Brigantine JARRAD SAFFREN | STAFF WRITER
H undreds of fl yers with antise-
mitic messages were distributed
in Brigantine, New Jersey, over the
weekend of Aug. 20 and 21, accord-
ing to local police and several media
reports. Th ey contained references to con-
spiracy theories about Jews controlling
the United States and the media. Th ey
did not contain any specifi c threats.

Th e Brigantine Police Department is
of Atlantic & Cape May Counties,
the Anti-Defamation League and the
Brigantine Police Department, among
other authorities, did their best to
make sure that the fl yers did not get
additional publicity. Th e president
advised members not to share pictures
of them on social media. Th e police
told residents of the town, Jewish and
non-Jewish, the same thing.

Publicity could inspire more poten-
tial attackers, according to Roberta
Clarke, the executive director of the
local Jewish Federation.

"We maintain and review our security
protocols, encourage legislators and law
enforcement to confront the injustices
of bias and bigotry, promote anti-hate
education, teach civics in schools and
work with organizations that identify
and challenge hate groups"
classifying it as a “bias incident” and
investigating. Similar incidents have
taken place across the country.

“We maintain and review our secu-
rity protocols, encourage legislators and
law enforcement to confront the injus-
tices of bias and bigotry, promote anti-
hate education, teach civics in schools
and work with organizations that iden-
tify and challenge hate groups,” read
a statement from the Shirat Hayam
Congregation in Ventnor, New Jersey.

Brigantine Police said there is no
update on the investigation at this time.

Temple Beth Shalom, which is in
Brigantine, was not directly targeted
by the attack, according to President
Jan Sarratore.

“We were very fortunate it was ran-
dom,” Sarratore said.

Sarratore and the congregation, on
the advice of the Jewish Federation
“On something like this, which is
really sort of a cowardly action, we
don’t want to give them attention,”
Clarke said.

Without spreading the f lyers,
Brigantine residents did show solidarity
with the Jewish community by holding
a rally outside the local library, where
a Holocaust memorial statue stands,
the following Friday night, Aug. 26.

Between 150 and 200 people attended,
though Temple Shalom members did
not because they were told to lay low
by the ADL and because it was right
before the Sabbath.

“We felt the support,” Sarratore said.

But the synagogue has hired security
for the upcoming High Holidays.

“Which we’ve never done before,”
the president said. JE
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