Central Florida Jewish community: Dialogue, education needed to combat antisemitism

A man accused of threatening to kill Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood in an online forum was arrested in New Jersey.

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It comes after Chitwood addressed antisemitic material that had appeared during and after the Daytona 500.

Now, members of the Jewish community say the dialogue Sheriff Chitwood started needs to continue.

READ: Man accused of threatening to kill Volusia County sheriff arrested in New Jersey

Harrison Shames, senior campaign executive for the Jewish National Fund USA, said the sheriff go the ball rolling, but there’s more to be done, like dialogue that educates youth about more incidents that Chitwood brought up, including students defacing bathrooms with swastikas.

“I believe in second chances, and it stems back into education, educating our youth,” Shames said. “Really, teaching what the symbol is and represents, I don’t think they understand the full representation.”

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Chitwood said he has shirts and mugs made to raise money to be used to educate youth about antisemitism.

Chitwood said as for the children accused of defacing the bathroom, he’s going to ask the judge during the sentencing that the children be required to go to a local Holocaust museum.

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