Hundreds Of Antisemitic Flyers Delivered To South Tampa Homes

TAMPA, FL — Tampa police and the FBI are investigating the distribution of antisemitic flyers in Tampa for the second time in the past month.

This time, hundreds of south Tampa residents discovered the flyers on their driveways and front yards.

The flyers' authors say COVID-19 is a Jewish "agenda," and they list Jewish members of the Biden administration and pharmaceutical industries producing COVID-19 vaccines.

While Rabbi Mendy Dubrowski, director of Chabad Chai of South Tampa, called the flyers' presence "obviously very frightening and disappointing," he said that antisemitism, unfortunately, is not new to Tampa Bay.

In January 2020, swastikas were spray-painted outside Spaddy's Coffee on South MacDill Avenue. And in May 2021, antisemitic slurs and a swastika were painted on the side of the Florida Holocaust Museum in St. Petersburg.

"It's happening across the country," Dubrowski said. "Antisemitism has always been around. These pamphlets are just the latest popular ploy. It's a new medium that's being used to spread the same 1,000-year-old hatred."

Dubrowski urged residents not to allow the hate-filled flyers to intimidate them.

"Don't make this a focal point of your life," he said. "There has always been people with hate in their hearts, but we have to focus on the positive and let people know that Tampa is a diverse and loving community. If the voices spreading that message are louder, they will drown out the hatred."

Hillsborough County State Attorney Andrew Warren issued his own statement.

"The people behind these flyers can get the hell out of our community and crawl back under the rock they came from," Warren said.

The Tampa police also issued a statement:

“The Tampa Police Department is looking into several incidents where antisemitic flyers have recently been distributed throughout the city. We take these concerns from the community very seriously and are working with our partners in the Jewish community to make sure residents are informed and safe.”

"Freedom of speech is enshrined in our Constitution, but it's up to us as citizens to let people know this kind of hate-filled speech doesn't fly here," Dubrowski said. "If we allow these negativity-based groups to control the narrative, then we're allowing them to win. We have to make sure we're not daunted; we're not intimidated; we're proud of who we are."

According to the Anti-Defamation League of Florida, antisemitic incidents are at an all-time high throughout the country in general and in Florida especially.

The Anti-Defamation League of Florida said antisemitic incidents rose 40 percent in Florida in 2020 and 50 percent in 2021, setting a record of 198 reported incidents.

In its 2021 audit, the group said antisemitic incidents tracked also reached a record high in the United States with 2,717 incidents of assaults, harassment, vandalism and the distribution of hate materials reported last year, a 34 percent increase over 2020.

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The league said this is the highest number on record since it began tracking antisemitic incidents in 1979.

Incidents occurred in all 50 states as well as the District of Columbia. The states with the highest number of incidents were New York (416), New Jersey (370), California (367), Florida (190), Michigan (112) and Texas (112). Combined, these states account for 58 percent of the total incidents.

Of particular concern to Jewish Floridians is the increase in Nazi demonstrations in the state.

Following a series of demonstrations in January near Orlando, the Anti-Defamation League and Democratic candidates for Florida governor called on Gov. Ron DeSantis to condemn the protests.

DeSantis said he was confident that law enforcement authorities had the matter in hand and would pursue those who step outside the law.

Within the scope of the First Amendment, Warren said there is not much more that can be done.

"Stupidity is not a crime, so the best defense to hateful ignorance is unity and solidarity," he said. "Hate has no place in our community, and it's important to recognize that this antisemitism is not just a threat against the Jewish people, it goes against everything we stand for as Americans."