Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By richards on March 19, 2015

'I'm Watching You' Scrawled at Bnai Sephardim in Hollywood By JTA

Published March 19, 2015.

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 Sephardim website.

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 between Monday night and Tuesday morning. 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, said Wednesday night 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.

See the original post:

Florida Synagogue Defaced by Swastika Vandals

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