American Jewish groups excoriate Nazi costumes spotted on Halloween

Multiple incidents involving Nazi costumes during Halloween spark outrage from U.S. Jewish groups.

By World Israel News Staff

American Jewish groups expressed outrage over two incidents involving Nazi Halloween costumes.

The two incidents occurred in Madison, Wisconsin, on Saturday and in New York City on Monday respectively.

In one incident, a man dressed in a Nazi uniform entered a bar in Manhattan’s trendy Soho neighborhood and was promptly asked to leave by staff members, who refused to serve him.

Video footage of the incident shows a number of bar patrons also expressing their dismay at the costume.

“What is wrong with you?” one patron asked.

“Get out of here for your own safety,” another said.

In Madison, a man was spotted walking near the University of Wisconsin campus dressed as Adolf Hitler.

The Anti-Defamation League issued statements condemning both incidents, calling them “disturbing” and accusing the Halloween revelers involved of trivializing the Holocaust.

“Extremely disturbed by footage of a man dressed up in a Nazi uniform this weekend in NYC,” the group tweeted after footage of the New York incident went viral. “This costume trivializes the Holocaust and is especially harmful during a time of increasing antisemitic incidents. We all must speak out against it.”

The ADL’s Midwest office called the incident in Madison “hateful.”

“These hateful acts cause lasting harm to Jews & others in the @UWMadison community. It’s disturbing incidents, from swastikas to Heil Hitler salutes, keep occurring. UW Admin must keep calling out antisemitism. We’re in touch w/Jewish & UW leadership.”

University officials also condemned the Hitler costume, while emphasizing that the incident took place off of campus and that the man dressed as the Nazi dictator does not appear to be a student at the college.

The local Chabad house also issued a statement, accusing the man involved of attempting to sow fear.

“Even a holiday which celebrates debauchery, irreverence, and immature or dark humor should have no place for words or actions of hate,” said Rabbi Mendel Matusof. “This deranged individual was looking to create fear and anxiety. We don’t believe that he is a student, rather an outside provocateur.”