Inwood Resident Reports Swastika Graffiti at Dyckman Street Station

INWOOD, NY — An Inwood resident walking through the Dyckman Street A train station Monday night spotted four swastikas drawn onto an advertisement for an art exhibit at the Jewish Museum.

The neighborhood resident, Gaby Kogut, first saw the graffiti at 7:30 p.m. Monday as she got off the train. Kogut — who grew up Jewish — told Patch that seeing the anti-Semitic images so close to her home "stung." Kogut returned to the station around 9 p.m. to take photos of the swastika graffiti in order to report it.

"I was surprised, upset, and especially angry. I've lived in this neighborhood for close to 4 years and I have never seen anything anti-semitic here," Kogut told Patch. "I hear that other people have, but I have not. I love this neighborhood and have always felt welcome and accepted."

Kogut also posted the pictures on her personal Facebook page and the Facebook group "Inwood Community Group."

"I won't tolerate it in 2017 and in such a loving, accepting neighborhood as Inwood," Kogut told Patch. "I felt a strong conviction that something needed to be done and that other people should be informed and involved."

Many members of the Facebook group commented on Kogut's post to express their shock and disappointment that the hateful imagery was found in their neighborhood.

"Absolutely disgusted to see this in our neighborhood. I believe there are cameras on the platform so hopefully that can be used to identify the idiot that did this," wrote a commenter named Arvind Singh.

"This is just disgusting. How dare them do something like this," Fernando Paulino wrote on Facebook. "This isn't that type of area where you wouldn't normally find something like that."

City Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez and new State Assembly Member Carmen de La Rosa — who both represent Inwood — denounced the anti-Semitic graffiti in a joint statement.

"This hate crime is unacceptable—not only in our community but across our city, state and country. The past election has brought hatred and intolerance back into the light and we must combat it any time it rears its ugly head. We will not tolerate hate crimes in upper Manhattan. The diverse peoples of Washington Heights, Inwood and Marble Hill stand united against hate in all its forms and we as their representatives stand committed to supporting all efforts to catch those responsible for this act."

The graffiti was reported to the NYPD, MTA and NYC Commission for Human Rights, according to the politicians.

Photos courtesy of Inwood resident Gaby Kogut