New York Attorney General Letitia James on Tuesday issued a warning to residents about "blatantly antisemitic" scams targeting Jewish communities over Passover.
The Jewish holiday of Passover, also known as Pesach, begins this year at sundown on April 22 and continues through April 30. It commemorates the story of the Israelites' escape from slavery in Egypt. Passover is traditionally celebrated with a gathering known as a seder, at which the Jewish text called the Haggadah is read aloud.
On Tuesday, James warned New Yorkers on X, formerly Twitter, about businesses in the state charging extra for services branded as special deals for Passover, a practice she called antisemitic.
"With Passover starting soon, New Yorkers should beware of businesses claiming to offer 'Passover Specials,' like car cleaning services, but are actually charging more for Passover-related services to take advantage of the Jewish community," James's post read. "This is blatantly antisemitic."
In a follow-up post, James explained why such services are targeted toward Jewish communities for Passover and provided a link to an official Attorney General's Office webpage that individuals can use to report instances of discrimination.
"Many Jews clean their homes and cars before Passover to remove 'chametz' or leavened products, and it's illegal to take advantage of a religious holiday to charge more for services," James wrote. "If you believe you've been a victim of this discrimination, contact us."
Newsweek reached out to James's office via email on Tuesday afternoon for further comment.
These carwash scams, in particular, have been a regular concern for Jewish communities over the years. The Jewish Star reports that some businesses in areas with notable Orthodox Jewish communities charge as much as 50 percent more for car cleaning services in close proximity to Passover.
James released a similar warning about the illegal practice last year.
"Taking advantage of someone's religious observances and practices is offensive, discriminatory, and absolutely unacceptable," she said in a statement from 2023. "For millions of observant Jews in New York and beyond, Passover is an important holiday, and their preparations should be respected, not manipulated for profit.
"I urge any New Yorker who is concerned that they have been a victim of discriminatory behavior because of their religion, race, or background to contact my office immediately."
New York notably has the highest percentage of Jewish people of any U.S. state, with just shy of 10 percent of the Empire State's nearly 20 million residents identifying with the faith.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Thomas Kika is a Newsweek weekend reporter based in upstate New York. His focus is reporting on crime and national ... Read more
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