Jewish activist criticizes Elorza’s treatment of Jewish community

By Bianca Buono

bbuono@abc6.com

@BBuonoABC6

A local activist is calling out the mayor of Providence saying he’s not doing enough to support the Jewish community. Russell Taub wrote a letter saying Mayor Jorge Elorza has been focusing on minority groups who are concerned about what could happen during a Donald Trump presidency, but Taub says the local Jewish community is already under attack.

In less than a year, the Greater Providence Area has seen multiple hate crimes targeting the Jewish community and in a scathing letter released Sunday, Jewish activist Russell Taub calls Mayor Elorza’s support “deafening silence.”

"We had three anti-Semitic attacks and yet Mayor Jorge Elorza doesn’t want to do anything about that. So that’s why I wrote the letter. A double standard,” said Taub.

Taub is referring to Elorza’s recent creation of a Muslim-American Advisory Board in an effort to help prevent hate crimes.

"I was very disgusted with the fact that he created that one and not created a Jewish advisory council when we had a string of three anti-Semitic attacks,” said Taub.

In March, a building that houses a Jewish fraternity at Brown was tagged with anti-Semitic graffiti. In May, a swastika was plastered on a sign outside a synagogue. And just last week, local rabbi Barry Dolinger says a man yelled “Heil Hitler” while he was walking to synagogue.

"It’s unfair to the Jewish community that feels scared,” said Taub.

Taub says the majority of that community shares his sentiment and says the only way Elorza can make it right is to create another board aimed at protecting the Jewish community.

"We should have one just to speak up for the Jewish concerns. If there’s a crime, report it at least, or get the answers, so the public knows what’s going on,” Taub explained.

Mayor Elorza has said that each week leading up to the inauguration, he’ll be announcing city initiatives that he says will help protect groups of people who feel targeted by Trump.

ABC6 made multiple attempts to contact the mayor’s office to see if the Jewish community would have their own initiative but we haven’t heard back.

© WLNE-TV 2016