Hamden and New Haven religious leaders, elected officials and advocates gathered on Wednesday, the first day of Passover, to condemn the recent increase in antisemitism.
Last week, antisemitic flyers were distributed across both cities.
Hamden Mayor Lauren Garrett said the hateful messages do not represent the people of Hamden and will not be tolerated.
“I'm here today to stand against hate and to support my community, the community of New Haven, and all the people here who come from different religious backgrounds, different walks of life,” Garrett said. “We all are together in this.”
According to the Anti-Defamation League, there was a 100% increase in incidents of antisemitism in Connecticut between 2021 and 2022.
Rabbi Brian Immerman from Congregation Mishkan Israel in Hamden said the Jewish community is used to hateful attacks, but prays for them to end.
“We recognize that until everyone is free, none of us is truly free," Immerman said. "And so we're going to break that middle matzo and we're going to pledge to break the chains of oppression everywhere.”
Police are still investigating last week's incident. It is not yet clear who is responsible for the flyers.
The rise in antisemitism is also drawing the attention of federal leaders; U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) this week asked the federal government for $40 million to support mediation and training in the state.
