Police are investigating three weekend incidents of anti-Semitic vandalism in the Midwood section of Brooklyn.
The first incident was reported late Saturday night , when a large black swastika and two smaller black swastikas were found painted on a private driveway at 423 Avenue L, according to authorities. The words "Die Jews" were also painted alongside the swastikas.
Across the street, two swastikas were also painted on the door of an apartment building at 1293 East Fifth St.
And Sunday morning, two large swastikas were found scrawled on the Yeshiva of Brooklyn building on Ocean Parkway and Avenue L, police said.
"For children to come to school to see a swastika on their school is really shocking and appalling and it's unacceptable," said Councilman David Greenfield, who represents the 44th Council District. "And it's just not the kind of behavior we expect in New York City, which has the largest Jewish population in the country."
Greenfield said he believed the incidents demonstrated a "swastika epidemic" in the city.
State Assemblyman Dov Hikind added, "It seems to be happening every single day, there's another incident, something else happens somewhere in the tri-state area.
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"Police are trying to find out who these guys are, make arrests," said Hikind. "That is so important to remove these hoodlums, whoever they are, from the streets."
The NYPD's hate crimes unit is investigating, but one resident of the neighborhood said more education in schools may be a solution. "I would like to see them doing more in the school with the kids," said Shirley Genn.
The Midwood neighborhood has seen its share of anti-Semitic incidents since the fall: In November, a subway sign was defaced to read "Avenue Jew." A series of cars were also burned and covered in swastikas in Midwood earlier that month, but investigators revealed earlier last week the arson may have been an insurance scam concealed as a hate crime.
Elsewhere in the tri-state area, officials and community leaders in New Jersey have also become alarmed over the number of anti-Semitic attacks in the last month, including graffiti scrawled on a temple and a Molotov cocktail into a synagogue
"It's hurtful," said Meyer Gross, another resident of Midwood. "Any thing against any sect doesn't belong in society."
Anyone with information on the incidents is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at nypdcrimestoppers.com or at 800-577-TIPS.
