23-05-2025
Central New York Jewish community responds to Washington Museum shooting
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — The recent shooting outside of a Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday night, May 21, has deeply disturbed many, including the local Jewish community here in Central New York.
For Mark Segal, President and CEO of the Jewish Federation of CNY, the murders were disturbing but not a shock.
'It's not about being Jewish,' said Segal, 'if you are associated with any Jewish organization in any way, you are at risk, and this is what we saw last night.'
Since the incident, Segal has been actively working, starting by evaluating the safety risk for his fellow Jews here in Central New York and ensuring there are proper precautions in place.
'We've been on high alert since October 7, the 23, and we've been on somewhat high alert even before that,' said Segal.
Here locally, this organization has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars just on security for safety, stating they've hired armed guards and off-duty police officers.
According to the Anti-Defamation League's (ADL) 2024 report, a record of 9,354 antisemitic incidents were documented in 2024, marking it the highest number since the league began in 1979. These incidents have included harassment, vandalism, and assault. Harassment makes up the majority of these cases.
While these numbers may be national, the reaction here in Central New York is deeply personal. Local mom and activist Sam Garrlick says the rise in anti-Semitic incidents isn't something they just read about — It's something that the Jewish community lives with daily.
'What's been going on in this country since October 7 has been a continuous increase of antisemitism, hate,' said Garrlick, reminding that 'Unfortunately, we've seen an increase in antisemitism here locally as well.'
The local mom expresses the importance of education and open communication despite the hate they've received. Garrlick highlighted the power of teaching children about love, diversity, and respect.
'We have my son, my Jewish son, sitting next to a Muslim child where the two of them can be having open and constructive and respectful conversations about our differences,' said Garrlick.
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