Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By richards on March 12, 2017

LORAIN Several hundred people attended Saturday services at Agudath BNai Israel Synagogue to stand in solidarity with the congregation after the synagogue was recently vandalized with a swastika and anti-Semitic message.

A day care worker at Agudath Bnai Israel Synagogue, 1715 Meister Road, arrived at work last week and saw a swastika carved into a metal door frame followed by an anti-Semitic statement, We will rise and gas you (expletive), according to a police report.

Many local public officials including the mayor, several city council members, current and former Lorain County commissioners and several Lorain County Court of Common Pleas judges attended.

Zachary Simonoff, a member of the synagogue who also serves on the synagogues board, spoke during a phone interview after the service in a personal capacity and not on behalf of the synagogue.

Simonoff said such an act of vandalism will not scare those like him who attend services at the synagogue. Synagogue officials met with the Anti-Defamation League last Sunday, security has been increased and Lorain police contacted the FBI and continues to investigate the vandalism.

The vandalism at the Lorain synagogue occurred among a backdrop of 122 bomb threats called in to Jewish organizations in three dozen states since Jan. 9 and a rash of vandalism at Jewish cemeteries, as reported by the Associated Press.

Simonoff said Jews have been considered outsiders and persecuted for centuries, and recent acts of anti-Semitism are troubling. However, he said the turnout Saturday reaffirms his belief that although the roots of anti-Semitism run deep, they dont spread far.

The vast majority of people in Lorain and Lorain County are not anti-Semitic, and I think this is really a sign of ignorance, he said.

When hatred appears, the best thing to do is to speak out against it, Simonoff said. People also should educate themselves on different religions and learn about Jewish persecution and the Holocaust as World War II gets further and further from public consciousness, he said.

I personally believe that the moment any anti-Semitism or racism rears its head, youve got to kick it in the teeth as soon as possible so as not to give it a chance to grow, Simonoff said. Were not going anywhere. We are going to continue to practice Judaism as we have in Lorain for more than 100 years.

Lorain police Capt. Roger Watkins attended the service along with other members of the police department including Chief Cel Rivera. Watkins grew up in Lorain and said his father worked at the synagogue as a janitor after retirement and his mother helps out in the kitchen there.

I was really glad to see so many people come out in a show of support to that temple, he said.

Lorain County Commissioner Matt Lundy said the vandalism wasnt the focus of the discussion following the service. Those present were more focused on discussing how to move forward since this has not happened before, he said.

I think its important that we stand together as a community during times like this, Lundy said. I think we need to send a clear message that we as a community reject hate. What happened is not a reflection of the countys values, and many people are disturbed, disappointed and quite saddened that something like this could happen.

Lorain Mayor Chase Ritenauer echoed those sentiments and said Lorain is united and will not tolerate such hatred.

The freedom to worship is a basic American ideal and we all need to protect it when it is attacked, he said. We really are the International City and we have open arms to multiple races, different nationalities and different religions. We are a community whose strength is built upon the fabric of diversity in many different ways. Todays crowd was just another example of that.

Contact Jon Wysochanski at 329-7123 or jwysochanski@chroniclet.com.

The rest is here:
Lorain synagogue epxresses solidarity after vandalism - Chronicle ... - Chronicle Telegram

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