Brandeis graduate James Polite ’18 was charged with four hate crimes crime last Friday, Nov. 2, according to articles by The New York Times and CNN. He was charged for anti-Semitic statements written on a temple and fires set at several locations in Brooklyn, N.Y.

He was charged for writing on the walls of the Union Temple in Brooklyn, “Die Jew Rats,” “Hitler,” “End It Now” and “Jew Better Be Ready.” He was captured on surveillance video, according to The Times.

For setting fires at four other Jewish-affiliated places, including a school, he was also charged with hate crimes including arson, reckless endangerment and criminal mischief, according to The Times.
Polite was profiled by The Times in 2017. The article profiling him describes Polite’s history growing up in foster care and working as an intern for Christine C. Quinn, a Democrat and former speaker of the New York City Council. According to The Times, he took part in Quinn’s re-election campaign in 2009 and when she ran (and lost) for mayor in 2013.

Polite’s foster parents, Jenny Levison and Josh Waletzky, who he began living with six years ago, were quoted in a CNN article saying, “As Jews and New Yorkers, we are profoundly shaken and feel personally impacted by these acts, and our hearts break for all who are impacted.”

“The acts perpetrated in our city come at a troubling time, when violence and acts of intimidation against Jews and other vulnerable communities is on the rise across the country… we remain committed to building a fair and just New York and country—together with people of all faiths, races, ethnicities and cultures,” they said.

The article quotes Quinn, who called Polite the “adopted child” of her administration. Quinn wrote Polite’s letter of recommendation to Brandeis and called then-President Fred Lawrence to recommend Polite. During a health leave of absence from Brandeis in 2015, he discovered he had bipolar disorder, according to The Times. He applied to return to Brandeis after seven months into a rehabilitation program but was rejected, according to the article.

Polite was featured in the Brandeis alumni monthly newsletter, “LouieNews.” The newsletter linked the original Times article profiling Polite, saying, “After a difficult upbringing in the foster care system, James now plans to graduate from Brandeis, as chronicled in December by The New York Times.”