Religious Jews in New York have become sitting ducks for antisemitic attacks due to the concealed carry gun law passed last year, the CEO of the nonprofit Kars4Kids claims in a new lawsuit.
Eliyohu Mintz is taking aim at the Concealed Carry Improvement Act, which prevents most New Yorkers from bringing weapons into places of religious observation or summer camps — and which he is seeking to be deemed unconstitutional, according to the June 30 Albany Federal Court filing against the state.
In addition to heading Kars4Kids — known for its ubiquitous ad jingle — Mintz is CEO of the Jewish charity Oorah, which runs a summer camp in Schoharie County.
“The violent attacks on Jewish people targeting places of worship and places where children are — the most vulnerable of the population — are random and provide the victims with no notice or advance warning,” Mintz, a concealed-carry permit holder, said in court papers.
“I cannot be left unprepared and unarmed in the event that an evildoer decides to attack one or both of the campuses, nor can the other licensed staff members.”
The suit is one of several to challenge the Concealed Carry Improvement Act, which was swiftly passed and signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul in July 2022 in the wake of the Supreme Court striking down New York’s longstanding law determining who could obtain a concealed-carry gun permit.
The new law, which took effect in September, barred New Yorkers from carrying guns in “sensitive locations,” including schools, summer camps, bars, medical facilities and houses of worship.
Many Jews, however, have become increasingly concerned for their safety amid rising antisemitism.
Antisemitic incidents in the U.S. last year reached a new all-time high, with New York leading the nation at 580 incidents, according to a March report by the Anti-Defamation League.
“There’s always antisemitism brewing and we always need to be vigilant,” Tzvi Waldman, founder of NYS Jewish Gun Club, told The Post. Since his group’s founding in 2019, hundreds of Orthodox Jews have joined to learn to how defend themselves from hate-driven attacks.
“We never know when some crazy guy is gonna act out the things he sees online in the chat rooms.”
Firearm security is particularly urgent at the camp since both staff and youths are easily identifiable as Orthodox Jews due to their appearance and dress, Eric Schwartz, a camp administrator who is part of the lawsuit, said in court papers.
Over the years, Schwartz said, the camp’s sites have been “openly targeted…for discriminatory acts including yelling ethnic and hateful slurs and throwing objects, including Molotov cocktails.” The Post could not independently confirm these claims.
The suit was first reported by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. It names New York State Police’s acting superintendent, Steve Nigrelli; Schoharie County sheriff Ronald Stevens; and Susan Mallery, the county’s district attorney.
The New York State Police Public Information Office said it does not comment on pending litigation.
Mintz and Schwartz did not return requests for comment, nor did their lawyer, Amy Bellantoni. Stevens and Mallery also did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
