Other than the occasional murder, few newspaper stories, if any, originate from the desolation of East Tremont Avenue; certainly no stories in Jewish newspapers, now that all the Jews have long ago scattered from these Bronx streets. Thereís nothing left on East Tremont, is there? But let it be written, in the words of the biblical Jacob: ìSurely, God is in this place ó and I, I did not know.

Anti-Semitic incidents in the United States rose slightly in 1998, with a 2 percent increase from the previous year, according to the latest audit compiled by the Anti-Defamation League. The annual report attributes the rise to an increase in vandalism against Jewish institutions and property, which drove the total number of incidents to 1,611 in 42 states and the district of Columbia. In 1997, there were 1,571 incidents recorded. New York continues to lead the nation in anti-Semitic incidents, despite a 15 percent decrease to 324 incidents from 380 in 1997.