VANDALS STRIKE NEW JERSEY CEMETARY

Vandals strike N.J. cemetery (JTA)
Hundreds of gravestones were toppled at a Jewish cemetery in New Jersey.

The initial damage of about 19 overturned gravestones at the Poile Zedek Cemetery in New Brunswick was found on Jan. 3. More extensive damage was discovered three days later after hundreds of gravestones were knocked over, some broken from hitting each other, according to the Home News Tribune.

"It looks like it was hit by a bomb," Nathan Reiss told the newspaper. Reiss is a board member of Congregation Etz Ahaim in Highland Park, which shares the cemetery with Poile Zedek.

New Brunswick Police Sgt. Richard Rowe told The Star-Ledger that there was no evidence to suggest that the crime was a bias incident.

NEW JERSEY SET TO DIVEST FROM IRAN

New Jersey Governor Receives Iranian Divestment Bill - Josh Lipowsky
New Jersey is slated to become the first state in the country to divest its pension funds from Iranian-linked companies if the governor signs legislation that passed out of the state legislature last week. As the result of a law passed last year, the state divested $2.16 billion from 17 companies linked to Sudan. New Jersey's state pension fund is worth about $80 billion, making it the ninth largest in the country.

"The passage of this legislation would [mean] that we can't put any of these large amounts of money into funds that would directly benefit Iran," said state Sen. Loretta Weinberg. "It's our way in the state of New Jersey of making a statement, as well as putting our money where our collective mouths are on an issue of international importance." (New Jersey Jewish Standard)

N.J. GANG ATTACKS 14 YEAR OLD JEW

Gang Of N.J. Teens Attack 14-Year-Old Orthodox Jew (CBS)
LAKEWOOD, N.J. (CBS) ― Police Monday are investigating the beating of an Orthodox Jewish Boy in Lakewood as a bias crime.

The attack happened on Spruce Street in Lakewood. Police say a gang of teenagers punched and beat up a 14-year-old Orthodox Jew, using hateful and hurtful words in the process.

Rabbi Moshe Zev Weisberg said he talked to the frightened boy, who was grabbed from behind as he walked home after the Sabbath on Saturday.

Police said they're investigating the attack as a bias crime. They would not talk on camera Monday but have said they're looking for four or five teenagers.

Initially the victim described his attackers as seven African-American men, but investigators say the majority of the suspects where white, according to police.

Warren Sherard, president of the local NAACP, told CBS 2 he understands how the boy gave his initial description, considering he was under much stress.

The attack on the boy comes more than a month after an Orthodox teacher was beaten with a baseball bat - that attack was not ruled a bias crime.

Rabbi Weisberg, the president of the NAACP and leaders from other communities meet on a weekly basis as part of a task force to come up with programs to teach tolerance.

If you have any information about the attack you're urged to call police.

N.J. JEW BEATEN WITH BAShttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifEBALL BAT

Orthodox Jew is beaten in Lakewood (NJ.COM)
An Orthodox Jewish man was hit on the head with a baseball bat in Lakewood [Tuesday] night, leaving him with life-threatening injuries as authorities searched for suspects, police said. The unidentified beating victim, who appeared to be in his mid-20s, was found lying unconscious in the street on Princeton Avenue, near 12th Street, about 8 p.m., Lt. Michael Mooney said. Mooney added injuries appeared to be life-threatening.

COURT: OKAY TO FIRE POET FOR SLANDERING ISRAEL

Poet Loses Case After Slandering Israel - Maryclaire Dale (AP/Anchorage Daily News)
An appeals court in Philadelphia ruled Wednesday against former New Jersey poet laureate Amiri Baraka, who lost his job after suggesting Israel had advance knowledge of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Baraka had claimed his First Amendment rights were violated, but the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, in a 2-1 ruling, said the firing was legislative and not political in nature.