Discovery of swastika at synagogue brings condemnations, calls for unity
MOUNT LAUREL - An anti-Semitic act at a local synagogue has prompted a wave of condemnations — and calls for unity — from community leaders.
Mount Laurel police are investigating the discovery Sunday of a sticker with the image of a swastika at Adath Emanu-El Synagogue on Elbo Lane.
The swastika was accompanied by the message, "We are everywhere," said a police report.
But elected officials and leaders of the Jewish community sharply rebuked that view.
"There are more people who denounce hate than there are who promote it," Mount Laurel Mayor Stephen Steglik said Monday.
“It’s disgusting. There’s no other word for it, especially as our neighbors and friends and families are wrapping up the holiday season for Hanukkah,” he said.
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Steglik said the hateful incident "does not represent who we are as a community."
Rabbi Benjamin David said the incident at his synagogue was a reminder "of the darkness that still exists in our world."
But he also noted an outdoor Hanukkah service took place as scheduled Sunday night, although with a police presence.
The turnout for the candle-lighting was "an inspiring show of support and community," said a post at Adath Emanu-El's Facebook page.
"We are united in faith and fortitude," it continued. "Happy Hanukkah everyone!"
The sticker, which was attached to a sign in the synagogue's parking lot, was "a horrific example of anti-Semitism," said Jennifer Weiss, CEO at the Jewish Federation of Southern New Jersey.
Her organization "condemns this act and all forms of hatred and prejudice here in South Jersey, and around the world," she said.
"Our regional security director is in contact with the clergy, leadership, and law enforcement professionals investigating the situation," Weiss added.
Investigators believe the sticker has been on the sign "for some time," a police account said.
A sixth-grade student brought the swastika to officials' attention, U.S. Rep. Andy Kim, a resident of neighboring Moorestown, noted in a tweet Sunday.
"As we reach the end of Hanukkah, I ask that you join me to show that love and unity are everywhere, not hate," he wrote.
Mount Laurel police sounded a similar theme in a post at the department's Facebook page.
"We are saddened by the message of hate placed at the synagogue to intimidate our Jewish community, and our community denounces this act," the post said.
"Finding this symbol of hate is especially troubling during the holiday season when we are meant to reflect on what is good in the world and in our lives," it added.
Anyone with information is asked to call township police at 856-234-8300.
Tips also can be made anonymously by phone or at the department's website and Facebook page.
Jim Walsh covers public safety, economic development and other beats for the Courier-Post, Burlington County Times and The Daily Journal.
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This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Police: Sticker with swastika at synagogue is 'a message of hate'
