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♪♪ >> From NJ PBS Studios, this is "NJ Spotlight News" with Brianna Vannozzi.

>> Hello, and thanks for joining us.

I'm Joanna Gagas.

In this edition of "NJ Spotlight News," we take a look at a range of issues that are impacting residents in our state and nation.

Take a look.

Anti-Semitism continues to be a problem here in New Jersey.

The Anti-Defamation League tracks the number of anti-Semitic incidents each year, and preliminary data shows more than 3,300 reported incidents nationally in 2025, and New Jersey's been among the states topping the list in those reports.

The numbers have risen dramatically since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack in Israel.

Now leaders of the Jewish community here have had to deal with the increased risks at their temples and in their communities, leading to increased spending on security.

I'm joined now by Rabbi Daniel Cohen from Temple Sharei Tefilo, Israel, in South Orange.

Rabbi, thanks so much for being with us.

Thank you so much for having me.

What are you seeing and hearing from members of your community when it comes to reports of anti-Semitism?

Overall, the national statistics are really what are being reflected pretty much everywhere.

And we are seeing this rapid rise.

It was happening already before October 7, 2023.

We were already seeing the numbers increasing, but obviously it's become significantly worse since then.

And I don't think there's any synagogue or any Jewish institution that hasn't been impacted by this and hasn't had to really step back and take a real look at how we do things and what we're doing in order to keep our community as safe as possible.

When we talk about... It's challenging times.

When we talk about reported incidents, what types of things are you hearing?

What types of things are happening when it comes to either harassment or actual attacks?

We're hearing about the harassment.

We're hearing about hateful graffiti.

We're hearing online I see disgusting things all the time, but that's online.

If people want to talk and be hateful among themselves, I guess they get to do that.

But we're also seeing the attack in Michigan.

We're seeing people in New York at increasing numbers, especially those who are identifiably Jewish wearing a kippah, a yarmulke, something like that, who are being attacked.

I think it has put everyone a little bit on edge and has certainly made us look at things differently than we have.

I think it's taking all different forms.

I think the other thing you said, which is a really important distinction that you made, which is reported incidents.

The reported incidents have gone up tremendously.

You know, we are-the Jewish community is 2 percent of the American population.

You wouldn't necessarily know that in northern New Jersey here, but we're 2 percent of the population, and the Jewish community accounts for 60 to 70 percent of religiously-based hate crimes over the last few years.

That is astounding and shocking.

And those are the reported incidents.

It's I suspect it's significantly higher than that, obviously.

Right.

People afraid to report or just choosing not to.

Synagogues across the state we know have had to step up security, especially during the High Holy Week, which we just passed.

Have you had to do have you had to take extra measures to ensure safety for your congregation?

So our holidays are in the fall and then we just had Passover and for any time we have a large number of people we certainly want to pay attention to that.

We have absolutely changed how we do things.

I don't think there's any synagogue or Jewish institution that hasn't.

But as I said before we started actually making the changes and addressing how we do things back before the Tree of Life in Pittsburgh.

We saw the numbers rising and we wanted to make sure that we were doing everything that is reasonable to do to keep our community safe.

The good news for us is that local law enforcement has been fantastic.

The federal law enforcement has been superb.

And even our Greater Metro West Federation, which is the umbrella for the Jewish community here in my part of New Jersey, our security personnel have been terrific in allowing us to consult and constantly taking a look at what we're doing.

So we have radically changed what we've done, but it's been incremental over the last few years.

And we are constantly looking to say, what else can we do?

What else should we do?

And if there's something that we should do, we're finding a way to do it because that's our number one priority right now is making sure that our community is safe.

Yeah.

And forgive my misstatement about the timing of the High Holy Days.

I know there there have been reports for one example of a synagogue that had to spend something around five hundred thousand dollars over the course of a few years in security measures.

I would imagine that there is a burden that comes with this not just emotionally but fiscally.

And I know you said you're working with partners but have you had to take on some burden there financially as well.

I can't go into details but I will.

I can simply say yes.

I don't think there's any synagogue that has not had to change what they're doing has not had to increase their spending on security to the point of at this point.

I think it's about 15 percent of most organizations that's across the board.

A recent study that I looked at said about 15 percent of institutional spending is going to security.

And that's the problem.

Right.

That's the problem is not only that we have to spend the money but what no one's really talking about is the fact that we have to in the first place.

What other community in the country has to spend so significantly on security.

in the way that we're having to in the Jewish community.

And that, for me, is the real story, the real problem.

And that, for me, is what people should be screaming about.

And we should be-it's a five-alarm fire right now.

But the thing is, the Jewish community is the canary in the coal mine.

Inevitably, when hate turns on the Jewish community, it doesn't stop there.

Hate is a cancer.

And it metastasizes.

And it's not going to stop at the Jewish community.

So this is not a Jewish issue, Jewish problem.

This is an American problem right now.

And I don't think it's being taken seriously enough.

Yeah, you raise a great point there.

I know that there are members of the Jewish community pushing for some funding down on Capitol Hill.

There are two bills in particular.

One is the Pray Safe Act and one is the Sacred Act.

They really allow more access to federal funding to safeguard these faith institutions.

One, do you support that?

So I have long been an absolute advocate of the separation of church and state.

And so historically I would not have wanted to apply for government grants.

At this point in time, I am grateful that the federal security grant program is there, that the national security grant program is there.

I am grateful for it, and I believe every synagogue and Jewish institution should actually take advantage of it.

The government, the federal government has been terrific.

Just to give you some numbers, I did a quick look.

In 2007, that program spent $24 million.

It increased significantly for the first time in 2021.

In 2026, it was up to $300 million.

So that is a tenfold increase in 10 years.

And yet it is not nearly enough to cover the security needs for all Jewish institutions.

So the federal government has been terrific, but it's not nearly enough.

And we need a lot more support from the federal government.

But also that deals with the symptom of this hate.

Yeah.

The other piece as I was saying before that I'm hoping the conversation starts to focus on is how do we address the hate in the first place.

Because again it's not a Jewish issue.

It's an American issue.

I'm going to do something that may not be fair but in just a few seconds that's left.

How we how do we address the hate in the first place.

Relationships first and foremost I think when we get to know people I also think leadership.

For example after October 7th when the demonstrations on some campuses started on October 7th 20 23 before Israel even retaliated and we saw the demonstrations on campus going Ben Sasse was the new president of the University of Florida and he made a clear statement we are not going to accept this on our campus freedom of speech is important but not freedom of ugliness freedom of threat freedom of divisiveness freedom none of that is going to be accepted and they had far fewer problems I think there is conversation on the ground I think it takes leadership in the communities but I think it also takes leadership from our elected officials in our towns who have been way too slow to step up in our school districts who I've worked extensively with our school district and they have been terrific but it took time for them to get there and I ultimately I think it's a matter of leadership and we need to see more of it and more focusing on the larger issue not just the specifics of a synagogue or the Jewish community but hate in general in America and the tolerance we have for it that we're seeing acceptance in America for all sorts of ugliness that is unacceptable.

All right we have to leave it there but I really appreciate you coming on and talking with us.

Daniel, Rabbi Daniel Cohen, thank you so much.

Thank you.

As much as people in the Jewish community have experienced a rise in anti-Semitism in recent years, many in the Muslim community are seeing and feeling a rise in Islamophobic rhetoric and attacks.

One such horrific act took place on the Rutgers University campus in 2024.

I'm joined now by Chaplain Kaisar Aslam from the Center for Islamic Life at Rutgers to talk more about what his community has been experiencing.

Chaplain, thank you so much for taking some time to talk to us.

Now, obviously we are in a conflict in Iran right now, but the conflict in Gaza started in 2023.

I just want to hear from your perspective what you and members of your Muslim community have experienced in terms of Islamophobia and hateful rhetoric or even attacks since that time.

Definitely.

Well, one is the conflict, of course, there have been many of them ongoing.

Islamophobia doesn't just start in 2023, neither does the conflict in Gaza.

It started well beforehand.

And the Muslim community has been experiencing this for a long time.

But for many of the students going to college now, their 9/11 moment was actually after October 2023, when they noticed a massive shift in terms of how they are perceived as Muslims and the issues that are important to them, what happens when they bring them up?

Are they seen as being ostracized by the community in some way or another?

- Yeah, you raise a really great point.

This is not new.

Certainly there are new things to talk about, but it's something that's been pervasive for a long time.

Interestingly, the Republican talk show host, Candace Owens, recently was on a podcast talking about how she acknowledged that she has contributed to kind of a dehumanization of Muslims since 9/11.

Have you, is that something that you feel is pervasive in our country?

- Definitely.

So as a young person who grew up, I was actually in middle school when 9/11 took place, that I noticed a major shift in terms of how people assumed Muslims were or what Islam was really based on.

And it made this whole dichotomy of there's good Muslims and there's bad Muslims, and you have to wear certain vague personalities to be a good Muslim and certain other vague personalities to be a bad Muslim.

And they're ambiguous by their very nature.

But the key thing that happens is you leave your Islam, your Muslim identity at the door or if you want to fully be part of the community that you are going to be in.

Sometimes that's done through like small comments here and there and others, it's by expectations.

And what it really leads to is a lack of being able to participate in life completely wherever you find yourself.

So whether you're on campus, the ideas that you say, you have to limit them to yourself.

How am I gonna be perceived?

And even when you're thinking about how much engagement do I want with my own community, it starts being viewed under this lens of how are others going to perceive it based on the geopolitical situation that we're in abroad.

I have to ask you this, what does it mean to be Muslim?

That's a great question.

I love that question because it's at the core of my identity and so many young people's identity as they're trying to navigate this.

It's to be in a relationship with God and that God cares about you, God loves you, that my actions have a consequence.

And so that would be the actual definition to be submitted to the will of God and believing in God with your actions and with your speech.

Obviously it's no surprise there's a deep divide when it comes to who's right or who's wrong when it comes to conflict in the Middle East that, as you said, has gone on for decades and longer.

How do you address that in your community to try to create any sense of unity?

Is that a conversation that you're having?

So one of the things that we've been seeing, unfortunately, on campus take place over the last couple of years more specifically is certain viewpoints are just being suppressed straight out.

I have many students who are either Palestinian, have Palestinian friends, and just the dynamic of how the Nakba took place in 1948 and so many Palestinian communities had a diaspora all throughout the world.

There's this idea that Palestine is an important issue for many Muslim communities.

And many of the students were like, "I can't even grieve properly because if I said something like, 'Have you seen what's happening?

I have family members who died,' that's seen as political speech in some way and it is shunned and it is sometimes canceled."

Even on this very week, Rutgers University, we had invited a speaker, a commencement speaker for the School of Engineering, Rami Al-Ghandour.

And many of the community celebrated that he's such an amazing alumni of the university, has accomplished so much in his career as a CEO, and they were happy to see him being celebrated, but then he was disinvited.

And the reasons given as to why he was disinvited is because he had funded a video in which it was the screening of Hind the Rajab, or the video that talked about this five-year-old girl who was shot at by the IDF.

And he really brought her narrative to light, that because of that, that made some students feel uncomfortable that he would be the commencement speaker, so he was disinvited.

I would say that's a blatant example of like public Islamophobia, that if you want to talk about issues that are important to you, mourn, talk about your identity, you'll be limited from public life.

So that would be one like example that just came up literally in the last day or two.

- So you've said that you believe that war allows bigotry because it dehumanizes people.

It dehumanizes perhaps entire cultures.

Is this what you're trying to say right now?

- Yes, that when you are at war with someone, one of the tactics that you use is, well, let's dehumanize them.

Let's make it seem that their lives aren't as important as others.

And what I was really alluding to is our campuses are supposed to be a place where dialogue takes place, where exactly the question you asked, can there be places where we have a conversation of how history has unfolded, what are appropriate ideas to be debated, but instead what we're seeing is because of the political climate that any even approach of discourse, so criticism of specific polity or policies that we have, are deemed as being somehow racist.

And therefore, those views can't be fully expressed.

So what I'm really trying to imply here is the response that's taking place right now, instead of discussing ideas in the marketplace of ideas, what's happening is actually censorship.

And that's one of the most visible ways that Islamophobia finds itself in public discourse.

- I wanna ask you specifically about the attack that happened on the Rutgers campus in 2024.

It happened the night before Eid, which is a holy night.

Has there been a lasting impact for your community?

How do you move forward from that?

How do you create a sense of safety?

Yeah, so in April 2024, if I got my dates correctly, it was right before Eid al-Fitr, which is the Eid that's celebrated right after the month of Ramadan, that month of fasting.

A young Jewish man had broken into the Center for Islamic Life and burglarized it and vandalized it.

Any piece of the Quran or any Islamic symbolism, and particularly the Palestinian flag that we had, was totally destroyed, ripped, and all of that led to over $20,000 worth of damages.

And what that led to is this recognition that even our center on campus, we're the first public university in the country to have a full time Islamic chaplaincy.

Even our center, which is a safe place for our students is liable for attack.

Of course, we don't like playing a victim mentality.

We don't like making our students feel like they are unsafe.

We very quickly recovered even that evening doing programming, because we don't necessarily need a center, we just need a space where we can gather around with those who love and appreciate us.

But it did lead to this idea that even on campus, we were already being verbally attacked and censored, but even physical safety is not necessarily something that's guaranteed.

And it led to an idea of we should protect our own.

I have to jump in.

I'm sorry to have to cut you off, but we are out of time.

Chaplain Kaisar Aslam, thank you so much for raising these important issues and talking about it with us.

Thank you so much for having me.

There's still a lot of uncertainty around the U.S.

and Iran reaching an agreement to end the conflict in the Middle East.

The deadline of the ceasefire and the timing of future negotiations has been a moving target in recent days.

In the meantime, the conflict has drawn the attention and criticism of Pope Leo, who's the first U.S.-born head of the Catholic Church.

>> President Trump responded by chiding the pope and after an exchange of messages, the president posted to social media a now-deleted AI image of himself as Jesus, prompting swift backlash from members of the faith community.

I'm joined now by bishop David O'Connell, who leads the Catholic diocese of Trenton.

Bishop, thank you so much for being with us today.

>> My pleasure.

>> The pope has said that the world is being ravaged by tyrants and that the Catholic Church takes the side of the I'm going to ask you a philosophical question.

How does the church define whether a war is a "just war"?

Well, over the centuries, the church has developed a tradition, a theory, a teaching, which is referred to in moral theology as the "just war theory."

And it's a series of principles that the church puts forth that should be met before a war is considered to be just.

For example... Can you give me a few of those?

Yeah, go ahead.

Yeah, I can give you a couple of those.

War is considered to be a serious evil, never a good.

And the starting point for any consideration or discussion has got to be a presumption against war.

There's got to be a just cause.

In other words, it's got to be effectively restricted to defense.

And there should be some proportionality.

The harm that is caused by war must be weighed against other harms that might be present.

There's got to be a legitimate defense that's ordered toward peace.

There's got to be some expression of charity and concern for the enemy.

And there are some limits on preventative war and a role for international authority.

There's no such thing in the church's teaching as a punitive war in the way that some older theories say.

With all of that and some of the things that the Pope has come out and said in some of his messages, the President has responded by calling the Pope weak on crime.

Does the church have a moral obligation to be tough on crime or to support that position in light of everything you just laid out?

Well, to be honest with you, when the president made that comment, I was baffled by it.

I don't know how he would know that.

The pope has never been in a position, either as pope or as cardinal or as bishop, where he had any responsibility for dealing with crime per se.

And so that really, I thought, was a claim that didn't have much foundation.

I think that the president expounded on that by saying that, you know, no one should want a world in which Iran has access to nuclear weapons, justifying the U.S.

action there.

But I just want to ask how you would characterize the pope's response to the messaging that that the president put out about him.

Well I would like to say this first.

The president has claimed that Pope Leo has spoken out in favor of Iran having nuclear weapons.

And that is not true.

That's not found anywhere in any of the talks or messages that Pope Leo is given.

And so that to me is kind of a very difficult thing to to accept.

But given to the question of how the pope has responded how would you characterize it.

I think his response has been very direct, very clear, very respectful.

I don't think he has any desire and he said this to get into a debate or a war of words so to speak with the president of the United States.

The church the Catholic Church in particular has recently seen an uptick in its parishioners coming in on new converts into the church.

And I'm not asking you to speak for any church beyond the Catholic Church.

But it certainly wasn't just Catholics who reacted when they saw the president post this image.

He says that he thought it was him as a doctor because he says he heals people and he he helps people get better.

What is your response and the response of your diocese to seeing that image.

Well I don't know what the response of the whole diocese is but my response was that's a ridiculous thing to say.

He obviously or whoever generated that obviously was trying to portray the president in a Jesus role.

And that's what that picture represents.

To me I just think it's ludicrous.

I have to ask you again kind of a more philosophical question as we see the church weigh in on conflicts between the U.S.

and other countries.

And this isn't the only time the church has weighed in.

Here in the U.S., does the separation of church and state still exist as the founding fathers first envisioned it, Thomas Jefferson first kind of outlined it?

Yeah, I think it does.

And I think we make an effort to be very respectful of the state and its positions.

But there is a clear separation between the two outlined in our foundational documents in the U.S.

and I think we try to be respectful of that.

I know the church has said that it doesn't take a partisan position.

The Pope has said that as well.

But it has the president has accused the church of becoming too liberal.

Is there any partisan position here as you see it or any type of language from anyone within the Catholic Church that has been partisan.

You know I'm not exactly sure what that means that the pope or the church have been have become much more liberal.

But I will say we make a concerted effort.

I know that I do to avoid any kind of political entanglements.

And the Pope has said that himself.

He doesn't want to get involved in any politics.

He preaches the gospel and he's going to continue to preach that gospel no matter how it's interpreted by political figures or political people.

I want to just I want to quote him a bit.

The Pope said that he has no fear with neither the Trump administration nor speaking out loudly about the message of the gospel and that the dignity of every human the loss of life suffering of the innocent are tragedies.

Where do you believe does the church believe this conflict should go from here.

Well the pope is speaking as the universal shepherd the universal leader of the church and he's speaking with a moral clarity.

And I think he is making every effort that he can to to to focus attention away from war away from violence away from some of these things that he's accused of being of having said to try to get people to be much more involved and interested in what the church preaches and what the church preaches and what the pope preaches is the gospel and the gospel is the word and the thought of Jesus Christ and the pope is the vicar of Christ.

You know I just have to ask you as as people hear the church speaking out as this moral compass is this moral leader.

There are critics who say look the Catholic Church has failed to be a moral leader over the years with the way that it's handled the sex scandals that have plagued the church.

How do you respond to that.

Well I think there are over the history of the church not just in recent years but over the history of the church times when there have been moral failures.

You're dealing with human beings.

And I think that has to be kept in mind when you talk about things like the sex abuse price terrible crisis a terrible blight on the church's experience especially in more recent years.

And so the church is making every effort at this point to try to address that.

Try to be transparent and try to correct that.

All right.

We have to leave it there.

But Bishop O'Connell thank you so much for your time today.

Bishop down there in Trenton the diocese in Trenton.

We appreciate it.

You're most welcome.

That's going to do it for us.

I'm Joanna Gaggis for the entire team here at NJ Spotlight News.

Thanks for being with us.

We'll see you next time.

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