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In Nassau County, the Rockville Board of Trustees was discussing a home in the neighborhood a large menorah in front of it before a local resident spoke out with a provocative declaration.
During that discussion, a resident who identified herself as Michelle Zangari responded with what has been determined to be hate speech by many local residents and officials.
“This is very emotional for anyone who lives through the transformation of the Five Towns, many of those people live in Rockville Centre now,” she reportedly said. “It began exactly this way. Rabbis and their families purchased homes, creating small synagogues. Congregants then looked to buy property nearby.
“I am asking you to amend the village code so that a synagogue cannot be on every residential street like they are on the Five Towns,” she continued. "Please believe me and every Five Towns transplant that it can happen because we watched it happen.”
In response to her comments, elected officials across New York responded swiftly and harshly.
“Everyone is welcome in New York,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said. “The despicable and antisemitic rhetoric used at a Rockville Centre board of trustees meeting has no place in our state.
“We must root out hate wherever it rears its ugly head.”
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said in part that “it is the duty of responsive public officials to condemn the type of anti-Semitic hate speech that was in evidence at the Rockville Centre Village Board Meeting. I am hopeful that the Members of the Board will also respond forcefully in this matter.
“Freedom to practice religion and freedom to live where one chooses are rights guaranteed by the Constitution,” he added. “The remarks made by the resident at a recent Rockville Centre Village Board meeting were offensive and un-American.”
Democrat Congressman Tom Suozzi, a gubernatorial hopeful challenging Hochul, said that “words matter.”
“Freedom to practice religion and freedom to live where one chooses are rights guaranteed by the Constitution,” he added. The remarks made at a recent Rockville Centre village board meeting were inappropriate and hurtful.
“Regardless of the intent of the speaker, the remarks are anti-Semitic and must be called out.”
State Sen. Todd Kaminsky called the woman’s statement “anti-Semitism, full-stop.”
“The trope of 'Jews taking over’ has been a hallmark of white supremacy for ages,” he posted on Twitter. ”RVC has a history of tolerance that welcomes all. Stand up for what’s right and call this out loudly No place for hate.”
New York Attorney General Letitia James also took to Twitter to issue a statement on Monday, April 11.
Long Island Rep. Kathleen Rice, a former Nassau County District Attorney, issued a statement following the meeting.
“I am appalled by the anti-Semitism on display at last week’s Rockville Centre board meeting,” she said. “I denounce the thinly veiled attempt to use local zoning laws to exclude Orthodox Jews from our community and I hope all involved will work to protect the religious freedom of our constituents.”
Video of the meeting can be found here on the village’s website.
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