Yesterday a devastating act of antisemitism was discovered at the Chabad on River. An entry door was defaced with a swastika and an antisemitic slur. This comes just weeks after vandalism against Congregation Chaverim where a rock was thrown through a window in the front door of the synagogue. These horrendous antisemitic acts will not be tolerated and there is no place for hatred in our community.
The Jewish Federation and Jewish Community Foundation of Southern Arizona stand beside our synagogue and agency partners amidst these despicable acts. President and CEO, Graham Hoffman stated, “We call upon our allies, neighbors, and fellow Tucsonans to stand with us in combating heinous acts of intimidation, hatred, and antisemitism. The rights to assemble and worship in peace and safety are cornerstones of American democracy. Engagement with the Southern Arizona community to prevent and eliminate hate in all its manifestations will continue to be a priority for the Federation and Foundation and all of our partners.” The rapid rise of antisemitic vandalism, harassment, and violence, as reported by the Anti-Defamation League, across the U.S., is tragic and has no place in Southern Arizona or anywhere.
We urge anyone with information about the perpetrators to come forward and contact law enforcement. Security remains a top priority for the Southern Arizona Jewish community. Security Directors, Paul Patterson and Chelsea Gutierrez are at the forefront of these efforts and maintain deep and ongoing relationships with local and national law enforcement.
Our community is stronger together. We will continue to proudly engage, unite, and combat antisemitism. Only together can we vanquish all forms of intolerance and hatred and advance critical community building efforts to repair our fractured world.
The above message was sent out via email on Tuesday, June 8. If you did not receive this email and would have liked to, please sign up here for Southern Arizona Jewish Community updates.
