Temple Shalom responds to swastika incident (MA)

[struggle4progress]

Newton
Temple Shalom responds to swastika incident
Posted by David Dahl, Regional Editor November 15, 2008 07:06 PM

... Saturday was supposed to be a day of prayer and celebration at Temple Shalom in West Newton, but a swastika spray-painted on the sign at the entrance to the temple marred the celebration.

Rabbi Eric S. Gurvis told the congregation about the vandalism from the pulpit Saturday, addressing both a bar and bat mitzvah as well as a prayer service at the temple.

"We're preaching for openness, understanding, peace, justice and tolerance, and here is this act of injustice," he said in an interview. "Even if it was a prank, it's not funny. It's a hate crime."

Newton police did not respond to phone calls about the incident. But the offensive graffiti appeared less than a week after the 70th anniversary of Kritallnacht, a two-day anti-Semitic rampage in Nazi Germany that is considered to be the beginning of the Holocaust. Gurvis said the Reform temple had never faced a similar problem in the 10 years he has been rabbi there ...

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/regional_editions/globe_west/west/2008/11/yesterday_was_s.html?p1=Well_MostPop_Emailed4

The election really stirred up the rightwing hate groups

[rockymountaindem]

1. That's a shame

But from what I understand, messing with Jews in Newton is not a good idea in general because Jews comprise something like 80% of the town's population.

[struggle4progress]

2. Dunno th'demographics o'Newton & don't care: this's a frickin outrage whether

th'synagogue were in th'middle o'a Jewish neighborhood or whether only three Jewish people lived within a thousand miles

Republicans ran a hate-based campaign & seem t'have succeeded in stirring up th'worst elements

It's disgusting

[Meshuga]

3. Same happened to my shul a couple of months ago

But instead of hiding evidence that could link anybody to the act, the morons could not help it but include the "Class of 2009 Rules" with their swastikas (with all the other "senior class" graffiti all over the street as well). It didn't take long for the police to find the culprits who were just a bunch of idiots from the high school next to the synagogue. You would think that a senior in high school would know better.