TOWN OF NEWBURGH – Jewish leaders from throughout Orange County condemned the antisemitic defacement of a campaign sign belonging to Scott Manley, a Republican candidate for Newburgh town supervisor, after a swastika was discovered spray-painted on the sign Wednesday morning.
Manley is Jewish and had relatives who died in Nazi concentration camps during the Holocaust.
“The hatred is absolutely terrible,” said Rabbi Meir Borenstein of Chabad Goshen. “Everyone knows that the swastika represents a sad violation of human rights. To put the swastika anywhere is obscene, and it is hurtful. Antisemitism needs to be obliterated from our society, and I can’t believe someone conducted themselves like this.”
“I could use a lot of words to describe what happened, but I will say it is frightening,” added Lisa Klein, 1st Vice President on the Board of Directors of Temple Sinai in Middletown. “This is happening all over the place, and what is being done about it? We need to speak up, or we will be stepped on. I want Mr. Manley to know that we support him; he is not alone, and we are here for him.”
A friend alerted Manley to the Nazi emblem, spray-painted on both sides of the sign, at about 8 a.m. on Wednesday. The sign was located on Lakeside Road near Orange Lake. Town of Newburgh Police Chief Bruce Campbell said the Manley incident will be investigated as a hate crime. Manley currently serves as the Town of Newburgh’s Deputy Supervisor.
The Congregation Agudas Israel, Temple Beth Jacob and the Newburgh Jewish Community Center, Kol Yisrael also condemned what it called a “blatant act of antisemitism displayed toward Scott Manley.”
“Senseless hostile acts like this need to be condemned by the community at large, so that the perpetrator knows that this behavior will not be tolerated,” the organizations said in a joint statement. “Silence is not an option.”
Several elected officials, including Assemblyman Jonathan Jacobson (D, Newburgh), Senator Rob Rolison (R, Poughkeepsie), Congressman Pat Ryan (D-NY-18), and Senator James Skoufis (D, Orange County) denounced the antisemitic act and expressed support for Manley. The Town of Newburgh Democratic Committee also criticized the swastika in a statement.
Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact the Town of Newburgh Detective Division at 845-564-1100.
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