On Monday, November 25, representatives of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, the National Park Service, and Ortega National Parks announced a critical partnership to combat anti-Semitism and hate in response to the Labor Day hate crime at the Silver Gull Beach Club, in Breezy Point, near the tip of the Rockaway Peninsula. In September, authorities found Holocaust-related graffiti, like swastikas and gas-chambers references at the club during the final week of the beach season.
The three organizations yesterday unveiled their jointly developed plan that can serve as a model program for a no-tolerance policy toward such displays of hatred at NPS/Ortega parks and in other jurisdictions. Following the announcement, the three organizations held a town-hall-style meeting with more than 130 members of the community to discuss the implementation of this plan.
The action items in this model collaboration include:
An annual joint delegation of officials from NPS, US Park Police, and Ortega will be going to the Simon Wiesenthal Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles this winter to engage in a multi-day, specially designed train-the-trainer training for them to dramatically increase preparedness for seasonal employees on the areas of diversity, cultural sensitivity, and proper readiness for combating hate in their facilities and properties.
During the opening weeks of the 2020 season at Silver Gull Beach Club and Breezy Point Surf Club, the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s “Courage to Remember” exhibit will be displayed. This exhibit shows the timeline of the Holocaust and demonstrates its underpinnings through the growth of unchecked hate. These educational displays will be put up at Silver Gull Beach Club from May 26 to June 2, and then moved to the Breezy Point Surf Club from June 2 to June 9.
A detailed presentation by the Simon Wiesenthal Center on the realities of rapidly rising trends of hate and anti-Semitic attacks, the effect on their consumers in the New York market to the Silver Gull attack, and the steps being taken by Ortega leadership both in the New York concessions and around their holdings nationally, to proactively ensure appropriate levels of training and preparedness moving forward by Ortega National Parks directors around the country. (This occurred at the annual Ortega National Parks directors meeting in Las Vegas on November 20.)
Town-hall-style meetings will be organized by Ortega National Parks, NPS, and US Park Police for all Silver Gull members. The Simon Wiesenthal Center facilitated dialogue both advising consumers of the joint approach and seriousness of response to the hate attack, and allowed for members and Ortega staff at the forum to discuss their feelings on what occurred and their expectations moving forward. The first of these town-hall-style meetings took place on Monday, November 25, with more than 130 members of the community in attendance. All three organizations further committed to organizing additional community meetings in the future, including in the spring of 2020.
“We hope that this plan serves as a national model and springboard for other community spaces around the country to proactively enforce a no-tolerance policy toward any incidents of anti-Semitism and hatred. There is no room for this kind of bigotry in our parks – or anywhere,” said Rabbi Abraham Cooper, Associate Dean and Advocacy Director at the Simon Wiesenthal Center.
“Gateway is a national park, here for all people. Hate has no place at our sites and runs counter to the values for which we stand. We look forward to working with Ortega National Parks and the Simon Wiesenthal Center to ensure that we are providing a safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment for all visitors,” said Jen Nersesian, Superintendent at Gateway National Recreation Area.
“We’re proud of the close community we’ve fostered at Silver Gull Beach Club and refuse to tolerate such a hateful act. We will do all we can with the National Park Service to prevent this from happening here again,” said Frank Pikus, Chief Executive Officer of Ortega National Parks.
“The announcement today of a model substantive collaboration between the Simon Wiesenthal Center, Ortega National Parks, The National Park Service and the US Park Police needs to recognized for its uniqueness demonstrating to park membership and the larger community in substantive detail that there is so much more to combating anti-Semitism and hate than simple condemnation,” said Michael Cohen, Eastern Director of the Simon Wiesenthal Center.
“I am pleased to see that the investigation into the horrific hate symbols and words that were found in and around the National Gateway Recreation Area in Rockaway is ongoing, and that collaborative efforts are underway to address the need to reduce these types of hateful criminal activity,” State Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. said. “Usually, there is minimal follow-up on incidents such as this, so it is refreshing to hear updates about this situation. I would also like to thank all those involved in the education campaign aimed at raising awareness about hate speech and hate symbols that came out of this terrible incident. Educating the youth and others on what these words and symbols mean can go a long way in rooting out hate in our communities.”
“I commend Gateway National Recreation Area, Ortega National Parks, and the Simon Wiesenthal Center for taking proactive steps aimed at countering anti-Semitic attacks in our communities,” Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato (D-Rockaway) said. “The fact that these images were discovered means that there is a systematic attempt to intimidate this community. We must continue to demonstrate that our love and commitment is stronger than any attempt to instill fear and promote hate. I look forward to standing with all of these organizations against bigotry and intolerance.”