NORFOLK, Va. — All across the country, police departments are warning people to stay alert.
Saturday is the so-called National Day of Hate in which extremists hope to target the Jewish community.
Just last week, anti-Semitic flyers were passed around in Norfolk along Belvedere and West Belvedere Roads.
One Jewish congregation in Norfolk plans to focus tomorrow on peace.
"We can't be naive and think that we are as safe as we ought to be in 2023, but at the same time, we can't let any hate stop us from living as joyfully, fully and purposefully as we can as Jews," Rabbi Roz Mandelberg said.
Given the rise in antisemitic behavior nationwide, Mandelberg says her parishioners stay vigilant. Safety is woven into their routine.
"We are doing what we always do to keep ourselves safe. All of our regular security and safety protocols are in place. We've been in contact with all forms of law enforcement. We've run through with what to do with our staff and volunteers. We're ready."
Chesapeake police say they are encouraging people to report any suspicious activity. Any criminal action against a person, property, or place because of religion will be prosecuted as a hate crime.
So far, Chesapeake police are not aware of any threats to Jewish institutions in the community.
The Anti-Defamation League reports startling levels of antisemitic behavior.
In 2021, ADL tracked a total of 2,717 incidents of assault, harassment and vandalism. The agency's website state this represents "the largest number of reported incidents against Jews in the U.S. since ADL started recording the data in 1979."