New York City Jewish groups are organizing a solidarity rally near the Park East Synagogue on Thursday, a few weeks after a controversial anti-Israel protest against an aliyah event held at the synagogue.
The United Jewish Appeal Federation of New York, Jewish Community Relations Council, Anti-Defamation League New York/New Jersey, American Jewish Congress New York, and New York Board of Rabbis said in an advertisement for the event that they were organizing the rally to stand together as proud New Yorkers, Jews, and Zionists.
“Together, we will always defend our community’s values,” read the rally promotional material. “We will never waver in our support for Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish homeland.”
Chaim Steinmetz, senior rabbi of Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun, said on LinkedIn that the rally was an opportunity to show that the city’s Jewish community would not be intimidated.
Park East congregant Reuven Kahane praised the solidarity event, but while he had great respect for the organizations and their leaders, he believed it would have been more productive to rally in a counter-protest against the November 20 anti-Israel demonstration. He noted that several grassroots groups had organized an emergency counter-protest in the hours leading up to the aliyah event.
If mainstream organizations had joined the counter protest, “then we wouldn’t be talking about the near-pogrom at Park East – we’d be talking about how the Jewish community came out en masse to defend a fellow shul,” said Kahane.
The rally followed the protest led by the Palestinian Assembly for Liberation – Al Awda New York and New Jersey (PAL-Awda NY/NJ) outside the synagogue against a Nefesh B’Nefesh event. The anti-Israel group characterized the event as a “settler recruiting fair,” furthering the “colonization of Palestinian people and land.”
“Settler, settler, go back home, Palestine is ours alone,” keffiyeh-clad activists chanted, according to PAL-Awda’s Instagram.
New York City Jewish groups denounce PAL-Awda's protest
The protest was widely condemned by NYC Jewish groups, with the UJA Federation NY stating that it was outraged by chants inciting “violence against Jewish people.”
Nefesh B’Nefesh said that it was concerned by the “violent rhetoric and aggressive behavior” outside the synagogue, but it was committed to supporting and educating those seeking to immigrate to Israel.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch apologized to the congregation for failing to freeze the area around the entrance to the protest, according to the New York Daily News. A spokesperson for New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani condemned the demonstrations, according to JTA, asserting that while “every New Yorker should be free to enter a house of worship without intimidation, synagogues should not be used to promote activities in violation of international law.”
PAL-Awda defended its attacks against Nefesh B’Nefesh, asserting in a November 24 Instagram post that the organization contributed to the “ongoing colonization of Palestine” because some of the olim went to live in settlements and others were drafted into the IDF for mandatory service. The group also criticized Nefesh B’Nefesh for working with the FIDF and Mahal to support lone soldiers.
“We reaffirm that standing in opposition to these settler recruitment fairs is a moral obligation,” said PAL-Awda. “Zionists may hide them in homes, schools, and places of worship – knowing well that state officials and the media will join them in weaponizing accusations of antisemitism against protesters.”
PAL-Awda posted on Friday that it would be holding another protest, supposedly against an Israeli real estate event, in Manhattan on Tuesday.
“As the United States continues to provide political cover & military support for the ongoing indiscriminate assaults on Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, & Yemen, Zionist settlers are exploiting this moment to further their settler-colonial agenda,” said the anti-Israel group.
“This expansion is facilitated by Zionists from all over the world, including most prominently in the US, through real estate events where Stolen Land is sold & discounted mortgages are provided by Israeli banks backed by the Zionist entity’s government.”