By Y.M. Lowy

Last week, we explored how a pair of high-profile court battles and protests helped establish protections for Frum families facing unwanted autopsies in New York. This week, we turn to another challenge confronting Monsey’s early heimish community: the antisemitism that many of its first residents encountered as they worked to build a Torah community in the town.

For many of Monsey’s early Jewish residents, building a Torah community came with significant challenges. Long before Monsey became known as the community it is today, Jews arriving in the area often faced open hostility from local antisemites who resented the growing Jewish presence in the town. Older Monsey residents recalled that at least one local business displayed a sign reading, “No Dogs! No Jews!”

During the years surrounding World War II, a small group of Nazi sympathizers reportedly met in a house along Route 306. At one point, they even held a march through the center of Monsey.

Physical attacks were not uncommon. One Jewish resident was reportedly beaten so severely that he remained hospitalized in a coma for several days.

The problem did not disappear as Monsey’s Jewish population grew. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Jewish residents were periodically targeted by vandals and troublemakers. Because the community dressed differently and maintained a distinct religious lifestyle, Yidden often became easy targets for antisemitic harassment. Newspaper archives from the period contain numerous reports of attacks against Jewish residents.

In the winter of 1973, a series of incidents occurred on Shabbos afternoons as people walked home from shul. The local Journal News interviewed Yudel Weberman, who served as a liaison between the Orthodox community and local law enforcement.

Rather than inflaming tensions, Yudel sought to calm the situation. He explained to reporters that excessive media attention could sometimes encourage copycat behavior, with additional troublemakers seeking attention by repeating similar acts.

But by the summer of 1977, the situation had reached a breaking point. Almost every Friday night, groups of individuals would drive through Monsey looking for Jewish pedestrians. Residents reported being harassed, struck by thrown objects, and subjected to antisemitic insults while walking to and from shul. The attacks became so frequent that many families began to fear their weekly walk to Kabbalas Shabbos.

Recognizing that stronger action was needed, Yudel worked closely with local law enforcement to develop a plan.

The Ramapo Police Department created a special operation aimed at catching the perpetrators in the act.

One Friday night, several police officers disguised themselves as Yidden, complete with Shabbos clothing, and quietly walked through Monsey’s streets waiting for the attackers to appear. The operation was an immediate success. Over the course of that Shabbos, police arrested 22 individuals, including 11 on Friday night alone.

Investigators discovered that some of those involved had traveled from as far away as Westchester County specifically to participate in the harassment of Jewish residents. The arrests received widespread publicity and sent a clear message that such behavior would no longer be tolerated. Almost overnight, the attacks came to an end. For the first time in years, Monsey’s Orthodox residents were able to walk to shul without fear of being harassed or assaulted.

As one Jewish newspaper observed the following week, local residents could finally attend Kabbalas Shabbos in peace, free from the anxiety that had accompanied them for so long.

Overcoming this was another milestone in transforming Monsey from a small rural town where Frum residents often felt vulnerable into the thriving Torah community it is today.

Rockland Daily’s “Unearthing the Past” series explored the people, places, memories, and hidden stories connected to Monsey’s historic time capsule, preserving the history that helped shape Monsey into the town it is today.