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Dear neighbors, p>

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The Jewish holiday =
of Yom Kippur begins tonight at sunset, and I am writing to wish all those =
who observe an uplifting and meaningful holiday and an easy fast.

I want to address s=
erious concerns that Jewish communities across New York City have with rega=
rd to a lack of security during the holidays and Shabbos (Sabbath).

With anti-Semitic h=
ate crimes up by 53% this year, Jewish New Yorkers are understandably on ed=
ge. There have been a plethora of physical assaults in Brooklyn during the =
last several months, including two on
Rosh Hashanah, which occurred last week. Worldwide, there have been severa=
l deadly attacks at houses of worship, including in Pittsburgh, Poway, New =
Zealand, Sri Lanka, and others.

 span>

We=92ve asked for h=
eightened security at houses of worship and on our streets, and I understan=
d that many, including myself, found it to be lacking on Rosh Hashanah.

I want you to under=
stand that, as Chairman of the Jewish Caucus and the representative of an e=
xtremely diverse district, I consider the safety of ALL New Yorkers to be m=
y absolute top priority.

 span>

Yesterday, I met wi=
th Jewish community leaders from across the five boroughs in a private meet=
ing, to allow for an open and honest discussion about the security needs of=
each neighborhood.

This morning, along=
with my colleague Councilman Kalman Yeger, I met with NYPD Chief of Depart=
ment Terrence Monahan, and Chief of Patrol Rodney Harrison. We expressed th=
e fear in the Jewish community right
now, and asked that they stepped up their efforts to ensure that not only =
do we FEEL safe, but that we actually ARE safe.

 span>

I feel optimistic t=
hat they heard our concerns, and they have already taken steps to improve, =
including bringing police officers in on overtime tonight and tomorrow, to =
patrol the streets around our synagogues.

Please be vigilant =
during Yom Kippur, and look out for an increased NYPD presence. I urge you =
to contact me after the holiday and let me know how you think it went with =
regards to security.

 span>

I want to thank my =
colleague Councilman Kalman Yeger for his continued partnership on this mat=
ter, and Pinny Ringel from Mayor de Blasio=92s community affairs unit for h=
is efforts and accessibility.

 span>

Please don=92t hesi=
tate to contact me with any questions or concerns.

Gmar Chasima Tova =
=96 may you be inscribed for good!

 span>

 span>

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Councilman Chaim De=
utsch

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