(Oct. 22, 2026 / JNS)
When JNS sought comment from the Nassau County Police Department, on Long Island, about a reported fire at the Young Israel of West Hempstead, a department spokesman declined to confirm the incident and told JNS that Bruce Blakeman, county executive and the Republican nominee for governor of New York, issued a statement.
JNS asked to see the statement, and the police department spokeswoman said that the statement was public. When JNS said that it could not find such a public statement and asked the police department to share, the police spokeswoman again referred JNS to the county executive.
When JNS sought comment from a spokesman in Blakeman’s office, the Blakeman spokeswoman told JNS that “we did not see any statement being released.”
She also asked JNS to name the police spokeswoman, who had referred JNS to the executive’s office. (JNS also sought comment from Blakeman’s gubernatorial campaign.)
The Young Israel of West Hempstead, an Orthodox congregation, wrote in a letter to members that a passing motorist witnessed someone trying to set fire to the synagogue at about 1:00 a.m. on Thursday and called police, who arrested the suspect on the scene.
“An individual struck the glass at the entrance with a bat, but the glass held and the individual was unable to gain entry through the door,” the synagogue wrote in the letter. “The individual then brought a burning lawn sign to the entrance and attempted to start a fire near the building.”
“The fire went out on its own,” it wrote. (JNS sought comment from the synagogue.)
The synagogue stated it is in contact with the police department and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and asked community members to “please remain alert and report any suspicious activity to 911 and the shul’s security team.”
Blakeman has said repeatedly on the campaign trail that New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, whom he is running to unseat, is not doing enough to fight Jew-hatred.
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Jessica Russak-Hoffman is a reporter for JNS in Seattle.