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Jewish Community Center in Northern Virginia Defaced with Swastikas

by TheTower.org Staff |

An unknown vandal spraypainted swastikas on a Jewish Community Center in northern Virginia, The Washington Post reported Sunday.

It was the second time that the JCC had been vandalized in 18 months. In 2017, Dylan M. Mahone was arrested and charged with “hate-related offenses,” for vandalizing the JCC, a nearby church, and community college, with anti-Semitic graffiti and stickers.

The vandalism was discovered Saturday morning. Video from security cameras showed an individual wearing dark pants and a hooded sweatshirt spray painting the building at 4:30 in the morning. Police have released stills of the suspect.

“We were shocked the first time that this happened. So, we’re not shocked that it has happened again, but we are profoundly disappointed,” David Yaffe, president of the Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia’s board of directors, said. “We know this does not reflect the feelings of the local community or of the Northern Virginia community, but it is sad that this is taking place in 2018.”

According to the Anti-Defamation League, there were 1,986 anti-Semitic incidents in the United States in 2017, marking a nearly 60 percent increase over 2016. The anti-Semitic incidents included “physical assault, bomb threats and cemetery desecrations to vandalism and harassment,” The Post reported.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D – Va.), condemned the vandalism, writing, “An insidious rise in hateful actions and anti-Semitism is happening in Virginia and across the country. We must meet it with fierce condemnation and an over-abundance of love and unity. We cannot allow hate to fester.”

The Simon Wiesenthal Center tweeted, “@JCCofNoVA desecrated with #swastikas. #Jews still #1 target of hate crimes in US based on religion. We will need our neighbors to join the battle to defeat.”

[Photo: ABC7 WJLA / YouTube ]

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