Arizona synagogue vandalized; officials looking for suspect
Jan 3, 2019, 3:05 PM | Updated: Jan 4, 2019, 9:09 am
(Temple Beth Sholom photo)
(Temple Beth Sholom photo)
PHOENIX — A synagogue in a western Arizona city was vandalized around Christmas, resulting in damaged signs, light fixtures torn from walls and a destroyed Star of David.
An official at Temple Beth Sholom in Lake Havasu City said the destruction took place between the night of Dec. 27 and the morning of Dec. 28.
A police report was filed with Lake Havasu City police later that day, the official said.
The damage included nine light fixtures that were ripped off the building, the Temple sign that was torn from the ground and a Star of David that seemed to be “pounded on with a rock.”
The temple official called the act “an anti-Semitic hate crime” done by someone with a “severely damaged mind.”
There is no description of the suspect or suspects. The incident is under investigation, according to the Arizona chapter of the Council on American–Islamic Relations.
“We are continuing to see a disturbing rise in the level of hate targeting vulnerable communities in Arizona and across the country,” Executive Director Imraan Siddiqi said in a statement.
“We stand in solidarity with our Jewish neighbors and ask our elected officials to strengthen our state’s hate crime laws to ensure that all communities are protected.”
Donations to help the Temple fix its structures can be made online or mailed to P.O. Box 812, Lake Havasu City, Arizona, 86405.
