Several headstones were found toppled at a predominately Jewish cemetery in Brooklyn over the weekend and police were investigating the incident as possible vandalism, a New York City Police spokesman said on Sunday.
The incident follows the toppling of headstones at other Jewish cemeteries in Rochester, New York, Philadelphia and St. Louis has stoked fears of a resurgence of anti-Semitism.
The hate crimes division of the New York Police has been notified of the incident that took place at the Washington Cemetery in Brooklyn, the spokesman said, adding that police would investigate on Sunday to see if the incident may have been weather-related.
Local news reports said about five headstones were toppled.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Sunday in a visit to Israel that his state will not tolerate acts of anti-Semitism.
"In New York now and in the United States we had a rash of anti-Semitism – over 100 acts of anti-Semitism – and I’m sad to say also in my state, the state of New York. It is disgusting, it is reprehensible, it violates every tenet of the New York State tradition," he said in comments released by his office.
© 2025 Thomson/Reuters. All rights reserved.