Tucsonan Doug Levy and his wife, Nanci, returned from vacation last week to discover that a rock had been thrown through the window of his downtown Tucson office, where he displays a large menorah.
Levy initially dismissed the vandalism as the act of “some random kid,” but when more rocks were hurled through his window during the night of July 30-31, he began to believe this was a targeted antisemitic or anti-Zionist attack.
Levy has had this office on Scott Ave. since 2006 and has displayed the menorah almost as long. The only previous problem, he said, was a break-in by an unhoused individual who was caught by the police.
For Nanci, the second rock incident was disheartening. “It’s sad more than anything,” she said, adding that before this, they’d only received positive comments about the menorah.
Levy covered the first hole in his window with a poster that says “No matter where you are from, we’re glad that you’re our neighbors” in Spanish, English, and Arabic. He covered the new hole with an old “Red for Ed” poster and taped up images of the Israeli flag to show the perpetrators he remains unafraid. He filed police reports and informed Carina Bien-Willner, director of public affairs at the Center for Jewish Resilience at Jewish Philanthropies of Southern Arizona, who added these incidents to the local record on antisemitism.
“These appear to be criminal acts of anti-Jewish hate, and we hope they will be condemned by those in community leadership positions. Mr. Levy’s office may have been targeted because of the Jewish artifact he has on year-round display there,” Bien-Willner said.
Tucson Police Department Sgt. Ryan Sachs said that while there is no evidence to prove affirmatively that this was antisemitism — rocks through windows are not uncommon in downtown Tucson — the TPD is allocating additional resources to the case.
On Monday, Aug. 4, Levy installed security cameras at his office.
Rabbi Stephanie Aaron will lead a “Havdalah Against Hate” service, organized by Levy’s friends, outside his office on Saturday, Aug. 9, at 8 p.m. A Facebook post promoting the event, which marks the end of Shabbat, promises “No speeches … just Jews and Allies celebrating being Jewish.” The TPD will provide at least two officers for security, Levy said.
If you have information about the rock-throwing incidents, you can report it on the TPD’s anonymous tip line at 88-CRIME. If you experience or learn about a local incident that may be antisemitic, report it HERE.
