Swastika Scratched Into Boston Man's Car On Passover
BOSTON (CBS) - A couple in Brighton was stunned to discover a swastika keyed on the passenger door of their car Friday morning. Walker Hartz actually drove to work unaware of the offensive scrawling until it was seen by a co-worker.
It had been keyed overnight, including an expletive, when it was parked a block away from their apartment. The car may have been randomly chosen but Hartz' fiancée, Melissa Brickley, believes the message was deliberate as it was scrawled on the first day of Passover. "Someone knew the time of year, the holiday and neighborhood they were in that is conservatively Jewish," she said.
Boston Police have been notified of a possible hate crime, and Brickley believes the community should know. "It's one thing to vandalize a car, but to put a swastika on it elevates it to another level."
It also happened steps away from Temple B'nai Moshe. Friday night as they prepared Seder supper, Ira Krachman said the community has to face acts of anti-semitism. "There are still instances of anti-semitism even in secure communities and we need to be more aware of that," she said.
Temple member Isaac Adar says, "It's making a statement that someone hates. If there are some people who still think it's right to do some harm, it's no different than a bully," he said.
There have been other acts of vandalism on the grounds of the temple, including a broken window, a torn sign, and stolen lamp post. It's enough that a security guard has been hired for the weekend.
For now Brickley has covered the offensive symbol until it can finally be removed. "This is a very diverse neighborhood. You need to embrace it to live here, and if you don't it's the only reason you would do this," she said.
