'Shalom Salem' Replaces Swastika On Salem Common
SALEM (CBS) - The smudge of blue remains on a pillar on the bandstand in the Salem Common, but it's now surrounded by hearts and a call for peace.
'Shalom Salem' has replaced a swastika that someone spray painted there last Thursday.
At this point in the investigation, police say there was no malicious intent found, just two kids seen on surveillance video who separated from a group trip and scrawled the symbol of hate last Thursday. Officers would not say if they have identified the minors involved.
Steven Rosenberg with the Jewish Journal says the education of the painful markings starts at home.
"People have to talk to their children and explain that we have a tolerant society and we need to be tolerant of people who may not be the same race or religion," he told WBZ-TV Tuesday. "It's troubling to see this locally but it's a reflection of what's happening nationally."
"Situations like this really make people more afraid," Jeff Cohen, chairman of the No Place For Hate Committee, told WBZ.
The incident comes as the Anti-Defamation League released a new report showing anti-Semitic acts have increased in Massachusetts, from 50 reported cases in 2015 to 125 in 2016.
It's an alarming trend seen nationwide, where statistics show a 34-percent surge across the country.
Whether knowingly or naively marked, Mayor Kim Driscoll said it's something not to be ignored.
"Places like Salem that strive to be welcoming and diverse, you just can't stand silent when things like this happen," she told WBZ.