Kristalnacht Comes to Highland Park

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highland-park-vandalismHighland Park, NJ – The sleepy Central-Jersey town of Highland Park, home to a large Jewish community, was on edge this afternoon in the wake of an overnight vandalism-spree.

The attacks appeared to be anti-Semitic in nature as all the businesses that were targeted have Jewish owners.

Shop-owners at two local kosher restaurants, two judaica stores and a Jewish-owned hardware store arrived at their places of business this morning to the site of broken windows that had apparently been smashed by bricks thrown through them.

Facebook rumors indicated that during two separate incidents, at least one individual made anti-Semitic remarks and threatened to launch a new “Kristalnacht” – a reference to the “night of broken glass” pogrom that occurred in Germany in 1938. One altercation occurred at the local kosher Dunkin Donuts where an individual allegedly threatened to return and attack “the Jews and their disgusting friends.” According to an eyewitness, the individual was escorted from the premises during his rant.

Another incident occurred during a regularly scheduled Highland Park Town Hall meeting where an individual allegedly made “virulently anti-Semitic remarks.” Highland Park recently elected an Orthodox Jewish man as its mayor. It is unclear at this time whether or not these incidents are related or if they are connected to last night’s vandalism. Nor is it clear if all the attacks were perpetrated by the same individual.

The scene in downtown Highland Park was one of disbelief as several local residents stopped in front of the targeted stores to take photographs of the incident. Locals business owners attempted to continue conducting business.

Speculation and concern over who was behind the incidents was pronounced as both the anniversary of the 1947 Partition Plan – observed by some as the “International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People” – occurred yesterday, and the anniversary of the original Kristalnacht was commemorated earlier in the month.

In another act of apparent anti-Semitic vandalism, the local Rutgers Hillel had a brick thrown through one of its windows over the weekend raising concern among students as anti-Israel and potentially anti-Semitic behavior on the Rutgers campus has recently been widespread.

At this time local law enforcement have been notified and are actively responding to these incidents. At the time of this post, details were still filtering in from local residents and no official statements have been made.

{Algeimeiner/Matzav.com Newscenter}


16 COMMENTS

  1. to compare this to Kristallnacht is ridiculous. While the recent attacks in brooklyn and now highland park are worrisome and scary, they bare little resemblance to Kristallnacht.

    B”H it wasn’t government sponsored, it wasn’t directed at every shul and Jewish business nationwide and Jewish males were not systematically arrested. Comparing the horrible action of a loner or small group to Kristallnacht simply makes light of that terrible day.

  2. “to compare this to Kristallnacht is ridiculous” – true. But the direction is frightening. A little anti-semitism here and a bit there. It adds up. Its not Kristalnacht, but it is crystal clear – we are in Golus, and are being given constant reminders. Take heed Rabbosai.
    Time to pay serious attention to our Tefillos and Mitzvos

  3. As the son of a “Kristallnacht” survisor I think it is in very bad taste that you are comparing the incidents that went on recently to that terrible night. However I would not be suprised if the way that many people show of the monies that they have or had could cause enough hate to brew another Kristallnacht chas vesholim.

  4. As the son of a “Kristallnacht” survisor I think it is in very bad taste that you are comparing the incidents that went on recently to that terrible night. However I would not be suprised if the way that many people show off the monies that they have or had could cause enough hate to brew another Kristallnacht chas vesholim.

  5. Must have been spillover from OWS. We are in this host country temporarily. And to think I just bought a house; a regret now. Should have saved for E”Y.

  6. I agree with the other commenters that a point-to-point comparison with Kristallnacht is inappropriate. If, however, the motivations of those who did it are really to reenact in spirit the events of Kristallnacht, then the comparison may be accurate on a deeper level.

    Yidden, Yidden, we all have to wake up. The wave of anti-Semitism that has been slowly gaining momentum in Europe has come to America. Many precious heilige German Jews did not wake up to their new reality until Kristallnacht shattered their illusions. Let’s learn from history this time.

  7. anti-semitism will continue to get worse & worse-R”L-as each sign & tragedy is a message from Hashem that the USA-& anywher within or anywhere else-is not klal yisroel’s home & Eretz yisroel is our REAL home.

    the only question is how many more of these messages will Hashem need to send down to us in this world until we wake up & return to eretz yisroel our homeland?.

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