DV Journal

“On Oct. 8, our interfaith partners showed up,” said Rabbi Peter Rigler of Temple Sholom in Broomall. “They asked how we were. And to be candid, I haven’t heard from most of them since.”

“A lot of the dialogue has become, ‘We love you, but this is hard now. That’s where it is. And I would say the same of a lot of our nonprofit partners in the community, people that we have done work with have said, ‘Now is not a great time for us.’ So, in general, I would say those interfaith relationships have changed dramatically.”

Rigler spoke to about 100 concerned Jews and other residents who came to the first Antidefamation League Main Line Community Action Group (MLCAG) meeting at the Willows in Radnor. The ADL assembled panels of religious leaders, law enforcement, educators and government officials to address the spike in antisemitic incidents in 2023, many occurring in the wake of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel.

Pennsylvania ranked sixth in the U.S. for the most antisemitic episodes last year, including 51 bomb threats. There were 8,873 reports of assault, harassment, and vandalism around the country, the most in four decades. Since Oct. 7, there have been 5,204 antisemitic incidents in the U.S.

(From left) T/E Superintendent Richard Gusick, Radnor Superintendent Kenneth Batchelor and Rabbi Peter Rigler.

“We are at a moment in time where antisemitism has skyrocketed,” said Abbey Krain, ADL senior associate regional director. “How did we get here? And what can we do about it?”

“As of this moment, campuses and our Jewish students and faculty there continue to bear the brunt of antisemitic sentiment,” she said. ADL has put together a report card ranking various universities and colleges.

ADL Philadelphia Regional Director Andrew Goretsky said the idea for MLCAG came after co-chair Lisa Schreiber organized a “No Hate” rally of 300 people when swastikas appeared in Tredyffrin.

Rigler said that even as their partners in the faith community abandoned them, law enforcement has stepped up to fill the void, with extra patrols to ensure that the synagogue is safe for congregants to attend services.

Asked about hate crimes and hate incidents, Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer said Pennsylvania’s statute covering hate crimes is called “ethnic intimidation” and requires a “predicate crime” like assault, arson, or harassment first before it can be charged. A separate institutional vandalism law protects schools and houses of worship.

Radnor Police Superintendent Chris Flanagan said bomb threats, which are often made through disguised IP addresses, are a concern. They’ve asked the FBI and the district attorney’s office to help investigate.

“We take it very seriously,” said Flanagan. They also work with other departments and share information. “It is a partnership on all of these incidents.”

(From left) Delaware County DA Jack Stollsteimer, Radnor Police Superintendent Chris Flanagan, Narberth Police Chief John String and Tredyffrin Police Superintendent Michael Beaty.

“We partner and communicate,” agreed Tredyffrin Police Superintendent Michael Beaty. He asked people to “work with us, to be involved.” And also he suggested they get to know their local police officers. “We need your help,” he said.

Narberth Police Chief John String said in his borough, Nana’s Kitchen was vandalized. They rely on community members to help identify vandals. In nearby Wynnewood, Temple Beth Hillel/Beth El was vandalized last month.

Flanagan added, “If you have an incident, with all the hurt that goes along with it, please preserve the evidence. If it’s washed off, we lose DNA, fingerprints. As hard as it is to see it, please wait for the police to get there.”

A few weeks after she was sworn in in 2020, “I had my first death threat. That was from being Jewish,” said Chester County Commissioner Marian Moskowitz.

“I grew up with it where I lived, in Kensington,” she said. “Various times in my life—but the heaviness that sits on all of us at the moment is the most difficult thing I’ve ever seen.”

“I think we need to communicate more with our young people so they understand what it is Jewish people have been going through because they have no clue,” said Moskowitz. “People don’t know how to talk about this and if we don’t allow them to talk about it, we being the Jewish community, there’s never going to be any understanding.”

State Rep. Lisa Borowski (D-Newtown Square) said she’s hearing from people who are “scared and concerned for their loved ones.” There is legislation that’s passed the House and is waiting in the Senate to increase penalties for hate crimes. Other legislation addresses antisemitism and teaching about the Holocaust. Randi Boyette, ADL director of education, said the ADL is advocating for legislation to mandate that students learn about the Holocaust.

During the question-and-answer period, some parents said they were concerned their kids’ classmates were not learning about the Holocaust in school. Both Tredyffrin/Easttown Superintendent Richard Gusick and Radnor Superintendent Kenneth Batchelor said their districts have Holocaust education as part of the curriculum.

Delaware County Council Member Elaine Schaefer said the council had passed a resolution after “some highly disturbing incidents.”

“A resolution is not law. It’s just a piece of paper. As leaders of this community of 500,000 people, it is important to be clear: It is wrong, and we should reject it at all levels.”

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Pennsylvanians may soon have to put down that phone and drive.

In a bipartisan 124-77 vote Tuesday, the Pennsylvania House passed a law that would allow police to write tickets to drivers yacking on their handheld smartphones instead of paying attention to the road, even if they are not violating other traffic laws.

Other nearby states ban handheld cell phones.

The bill will now go back to the Senate, which has already passed a different version.

Before the vote, the House heard from Eileen Miller, whose 21-year-old son died in a crash with a distracted driver in Monroe County. The bill is called “Paul Miller’s Law.”

“SB 37 isn’t just about following the rules of the road,” said Rep. Ed Neilson (D-Philadelphia), who chairs the House Transportation Committee. “It’s about saving lives, keeping families together, and ensuring that the road trip ends safely. This is a crucial step to ensure Pennsylvania drivers commit to the safety of not only themselves but everyone they encounter on the road.”

Local state Rep. Lisa Borowski (D-Springfield) was a yes vote.

“I voted on a law to strengthen the existing distracted driving law,” said Borowski. “One in eight fatal crashes involve a distracted driver. Yesterday, when we voted on the law, there was a family on the floor who lost their son due to a crash with a driver who was texting.

“The bill, which passed with bipartisan support, expands existing law prohibiting texting while driving to now include using an interactive mobile device while driving. In other words, no texting and driving, no online shopping and driving, no watching a movie and driving, no playing video games and driving.

“I voted to expand existing law to make our roads safer for all Pennsylvanians,” said Borowski.

Rep. Seth Grove (R-York) voted against the bill.

“Driving on the road with a cell phone in your hand is already illegal,” Grove said. “Senate Bill 37, while well-intentioned, will not provide the desired outcome of eliminating texting while driving. I am also concerned this bill runs afoul of the single-subject rule, which requires bills to be limited to one issue. [The Senate version] was amended by House Democrats to add an onerous reporting requiring on traffic stops by law enforcement. For these two reasons, I voted no.”

But Rep. Kristin Marcell (R-Richboro), who voted yes, said, “Distracted driving is a major factor in automobile fatalities. This commonsense bill is a deterrent that will help contribute to having safer roadways for our community members and loved ones.

Of the 27 states that have passed similar legislation, they have reported declines in motor vehicle accidents, and overall highway fatalities have declined nationally. Unfortunately, Pennsylvania is not one of those states, and our fatalities are up 4.2 percent from 2022 to 2023.”

Sen. Rosemary Brown (R-Lackawanna) has been trying to get this bill passed for 12 years. Because April is Distracted Driving Awareness month she said it’s fitting it should go forward now. She hopes the Senate will vote on the amended bill next week.

“I’m very pleased,” said Brown, adding that she worked very closely with the House on the amendments it suggested. “Hopefully, we’ll see it go to the governor’s desk.”

As to Grove’s concern about adding more work for police officers, Brown said state police already do the data collection it requires and police departments in towns with fewer than 5,000 residents are not included.

“I really hope it will help,” she said, noting that Eileen Miller was “an inspiration for me.”

Some DVJournal readers commented about the bill on Facebook.

Tina Marie Hoseweart said, “I’ve seen so many people holding their phone and going so slow or almost causing accidents.”

Teri Selleck Majewski said she’s probably in favor of it because “there is no common sense. It is dangerous to text and drive.”

And Michael Lake said it is “just as dangerous to text and drive with the phone on a windshield mount.”

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Deadlocked political bodies are nothing new for first-term state Rep. Lisa Borowski.

As a Radnor Township commissioner, she led the Republican-majority board as its president. Borowski is a registered Democrat.

“I try to keep in mind that, at the end of the day, the majority of people who run for office really have the best interests of their community in mind,” she said. “We may have different ways of getting there, but the end goal is, ‘what’s best for your neighbors?’”

Borowski is ready to put that experience and perspective to work in Harrisburg, where she now represents the 168th District–part of Delaware County–after unseating incumbent Chris Quinn in November. After winning three special elections in Allegheny County last week, Democrats now have a one-seat majority in the chamber–their first majority there in more than a decade.

“The last election was a mandate of voters saying they’re tired of who was [in Harrisburg] and all the work that was not being done,” Borowski said. “What people are saying right now is that it’s time to work together. We’re going to have to look at legislation that has a common goal and work to find common ground and moderation to get things done.”

She wasn’t waiting for the political situation in Harrisburg to get settled before diving into the job. While some lamented the lengthy recess the state House went into after swearing in new Members and electing a Speaker, Borowski used the time in her district to meet with everyone she could. She also used the time to get to know her newly hired staff who also had more time with her than anticipated. She said they are already working as a team and understand her legislative and constituent priorities.

Borowski is also shopping around her first two bills for co-sponsors. She inherited legislation from a Republican in a previous session to eliminate the fees for state and federal identification documents for victims of domestic violence.

“That’s really good legislation that’s just been sitting and not going anywhere,” she said.

The other bill, which she introduced with Rep. Greg Scott (D-54th District, Montgomery County), would eliminate the mileage threshold for Medicaid reimbursement for patient transport by EMS crews. Currently, crews must transport a patient more than 20 miles to be eligible for reimbursement but with the loss of hospital beds in the region, Borowski said ambulances are having to travel farther. However, most transports are under 20 miles so they are not seeing additional resources for the extra driving.

“I learned so much as a commissioner about the challenges volunteer fire departments and EMS face and the vital role they play in our communities,” she said. “If municipalities had to run them, it would be insanely expensive, but they need support.”

Borowski said she is also looking at other ways to support local municipalities through supporting grants for new water infrastructure and open space preservation. While she continues learning about the myriad challenges facing all the townships in her district, Borowski excitedly talks about getting her district office ready to open.

The phones and computers were delivered last week. The furniture is mostly donated. She got a great line on office furniture from businesses that had broken leases and were just leaving desks and other items. She bought one desk for $5.

“Everything in our office is recycled – even the $5 desk,” she said, laughing.

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