Albany, New York – New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced on Friday that public colleges and universities in New York offered increased law enforcement presence and additional resources for students attending campus Shabbat services. The move is in response to Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel.
On SUNY campuses, Chancellor John B. King Jr. directed the university police commissioner to work with all state-operated campuses this past weekend to ensure there was increased security for on-campus Shabbat services. University police also worked with communities to ensure students who attend services off-campus also had the security resources they need.
For on-campus Shabbat services on CUNY campuses, law enforcement protection from local NYPD precincts was secured, in addition to increasing CUNY Public Safety presence.
The increase in security resources in New York comes as FBI Director Christopher Wray says threats against Jews and Muslims, as well as their institutions and houses of worship have increasingly been threatened, reports CBS News.
In Illinois, a 71-year-old man stabbed a six-year-old Muslim boy to death on Saturday, reports the Associated Press. The same man is also believed to have stabbed his 32-year-old mother.
Last week, a teen attacked an Israeli Columbia University student during an argument linked to the Israel-Hamas war, reports the Daily News.
Both the teen who attacked the Columbia student and the man who killed the Muslim boy have been charged with hate crimes.