Seeking Unity; Long Beach Synagogues Hold Labor Day BBQ With Police

LONG BEACH, NY — Amid the rise of antisemitism globally, synagogues in Long Beach and Lido Beach gathered over the Labor Day weekend to honor the Long Beach Police Department.

This year, Benai Asher Sephardic Congregation hosted the event as the bodies of six hostages, captured last year by Hamas, were found in a Gaza tunnel over the weekend, Israel announced on Sunda

"The events of October 7th and the protests which have ensued in support of Hamas and sought to normalize its atrocities, shook the global Jewish community – and indeed many members of our communities here on the Barrier Island – to the core,” said BACH Jewish Center Rabbi Benny Berlin, who also serves Long Beach Police Chaplain. “Yet through it all, the officers of the Long Beach and Nassau County Police departments have continued to provide an envelope of safety around our communities.”

“We’re extremely thankful to the synagogues of Long Beach and Lido Beach for coordinating this barbecue for the third consecutive year,” said Long Beach Police Commissioner Richard DePalma. "Synagogues, along with our other faith-based communal partners, play an integral role in our community. We are one community – the Long Beach community – and this barbeque is a generous gesture that reinforces that."