Swastikas were found on a synagogue in Alabama on the evening of April 8, authorities said.
The Huntsville synagogue Etz Chayim had two swastikas drawn on it in red paint as well as anti-Semitic slurs, including the words “HoloHoax,” “Jew Rats” and “F— k—s.”
Huntsville, Alabama, synagogue Etz Chayim was hit with disgusting, neo-Nazi vandalism and threats last night, as Passover was beginning.
I hope the scumbag(s) who did this is/are punished.
Read more: https://t.co/yt96KqlwHU pic.twitter.com/6BaxnxV3fA
— Sia Kordestani (@SiaKordestani) April 10, 2020
Huntsville Police Lt. Michael Johnson told WAFF that people should come to them with any information, and that they’re “looking at charges anywhere from criminal mischief, to harassment, to possibly terroristic threats.”
Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle condemned the graffiti in a statement.
“This despicable act took place on the first night of Passover, one of the most important religious times in the Jewish year,” he said. “We seek to find those who perpetrated this crime, and I urge anyone with information about the vandalism to report it to police. As a city, and as an inclusive community, we stand side by side with our Jewish brothers and sisters and people of all faiths.”
The Jewish Federation of Huntsville and North Alabama similarly said in a statement, “Passover is a time where we gather together to celebrate our freedom from bondage, yet this year, we had to do it in isolation because of the coronavirus pandemic. To think anyone would take advantage of such a time to commit such heinous acts is the lowest of the low.”
They added: “The vicious and repugnant images found on the walls of Etz Chayim are a powerful reminder that anti-Semitism is still here and we, as a community, must come together and work tirelessly to end it.”
The Interfaith Mission Service launched a donation effort to provide support to Etz Chayim.
“We stand together united against all forms of anti-Semitism and hate speech,” they wrote on the campaign page. “We are one people.”
