Antisemitic 'Day Of Hate' Threat Mobilizes Cops Around NJ Synagogues

NEW JERSEY — An antisemitic "National Day of Hate" promoted by neo-Nazi groups will prompt police to increase their presence Saturday around synagogues and Jewish communities throughout New Jersey. But authorities stress that they haven't seen any credible threats.

Jewish organizations and several local governments in New Jersey have raised awareness about the Day of Hate, slated for Saturday. Many posts online included a leaked draft of an NYPD alert warning of "domestic violent extremists" planning direct actions. At least one "extremist" encouraged participants around the country to drop banners and flyers and scrawl graffiti with racist and antisemitic messages, the NYPD's memo says.

"This is all about harassing Jews and creating a public space for hate mongers," Jason Shames, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey, told northjersey.com. "This becomes a recruitment tool to invite others into this dark place of promoting hate and antisemitism. Nobody should tolerate this. The community at large needs to unify against hate."

Several local governments and police departments around New Jersey have relayed warnings about the Day of Hate. In Lakewood — home to one of the nation's largest Jewish populations — police continue to monitor the situation.

"At this time there isn't any credible information to suggest that these threats will impact New Jersey, more specifically, Lakewood," said Police Capt. Gregory Staffordsmith. "However, in response we have increased the number of on-duty officers, both marked and unmarked, to ensure the safety of our residents."

Warren Township, Livingston, Lacey and Princeton are also among the New Jersey communities increasing police presence around synagogues and other Jewish centers on Saturday, when Jewish people observe Shabbat.

Read more:

• No Credible Threat To Lakewood From 'Day Of Hate' Posts: Police
• Warren Police Step Up Patrols At Jewish Temple Ahead Of 'Day Of Hate'
• Antisemitic 'Day of Hate' Has Livingston, NYC-Area Officials On Guard
  
• Princeton PD To Boost Patrol Ahead Of Antisemitic 'Day Of Hate'
  

The so-called Day of Hate began with an online post by a tiny neo-Nazi group in Iowa, a spokesperson with the Anti-Defamation League told Patch. White supremacist groups have since circulated it online on social media sites such as Telegram that are often used by them, the spokesperson said.

While authorities haven't detected any credible threats, several attacks and threats in recent years against Jewish institutions in New Jersey have raised concerns. Most notably, the 2019 mass shooting targeting a Jewish grocery store in Jersey City was one of the nation's deadliest antisemitic attacks in recent history. Five people were killed at the store, including both gunmen, during the Dec. 10, 2019, attack. The assailants also killed Det. Joseph Seals, a Jersey City police officer, at a nearby cemetery.

In November, law enforcement apprehended a suspect who made threats against New Jersey synagogues, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. The suspect said he'd carry out the attack on behalf of the Islamic State — the terrorist organization also known as ISIS — the DOJ said. Court documents also show the suspect supporting Dylann Roof — a white supremacist neo-Nazi who killed nine people, all of them Black, at a South Carolina church in 2015.

• Read more: NJ Synagogue Threats Inspired By ISIS: Feds

On Jan. 29, a man wearing a ski mask threw a Molotov cocktail at a synagogue in Bloomfield. Law enforcement apprehended the man suspected of the "firebombing" on Feb. 1, according to federal prosecutors.

• Read more: Bloomfield Synagogue 'Firebomb' Suspect Is In Custody, Authorities Say