Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By richards on March 20, 2015

Example of the vandalism that appeared on Bnai Sephardim. Photo is a screenshot from YouTube

Vandals defaced a synagogue in Hollywood, Fla.

Hate messages and cryptic warnings including Im watching you, and [expletive] Jews appeared on Bnai Sephardim, a Sephardic synagogue, the Miami Herald reported. The synagogue serves about 700 families, according to the Bnai Sephardimwebsite.

Hollywood Police Chief Frank Fernandez said on Wednesday that his department takes any type of hate messages very seriously, and promised a thorough investigation.

These are individuals that want to spread hate, and there is no place for that in our community, he said.

Fernandez said the offensive painted vitriol appeared sometime betweenMondaynight andTuesdaymorning. The gate of the synagogue had been left open overnight because construction crews were working late.

The Anti-Defamation League decried the incident. Hava L. Holzhauer, ADLs Florida regional director, saidWednesdaynight that the vandalism is damaging to the community. It is physical damage to a place of worship, and its also emotional damage.

Rabbi Leol Benhamu told Miami Herald news partner CBS4 that seeing the spray-painted messages was painful.

That bring up memories of the past, Holocaust memories and persecution for Jews. I got upset, Benhamu told the station.

The Hollywood incident joins a string of hate-inspired vandalism in the area. On March 8, a 24-year-old man wasarrestedafter police say he yelled in Arabic at the son of a rabbi in front of a Miami Beach synagogue and then threatened to cut his head off.

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Hate messages painted on Hollywood, Fla. synagogue

Category: Sephardic
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