Swastika Incident Stuns Edison, N.J.
EDISON, N.J. (CBS 2) -- There have been vicious attacks, taunts and vandalism.
Edison resident are haunted by recent incidents of anti-Semitism. Now police are taking extra steps to protect the community during the high holy days.
Police told CBS 2's Christine Sloan the latest in a rash of anti-Semitic incidents happened at a Lexus dealership on Route 1. Vandals scratched swastikas on eight cars and even stole a tire from one.
"It concerns me. We don't know who's behind it, whether it's just kids, whether its kids who are influenced by somebody, whether it's something more serious," resident Andy Brown said.
The entire vandalism, investigators said, was captured on surveillance videotape. It shows three men wearing gloves during the incident.
"And each one of them was attempting to hide their identity by wearing baseball caps or masks," said Edison Police Sgt. Robert Dudash.
Swastikas also had to be removed from the walls of a day care back in June.
And back in July a father an son walking to a synagogue were confronted by a man in a car who yelled anti-Semitic slurs at them on Route 27.
"I want these people captured," Rabbi Bernhard Rosenberg said.
Rosenberg, whose synagogue, Congregation Beth El, was spray-painted with swastikas last year during Yom Kippur, was so angry Thursday he offered a $5,000 reward for information on any of these incidents.
"I have been attacked. My wife has been attacked through eggs a number of years ago. I am angry beyond comprehension and I will do anything to catch them and I will catch them," Rabbi Rosenberg said.
Rosenberg said he sees more of this hatred as the high holidays approach.
"We have one incident where a Yeshiva boy who was beaten up and he was caught, and the judge gave him a penalty of writing an essay on the holocaust," Rosenberg said.
At the car dealership where the word "boss" was etched under a Swastika no one would comment, but police said they are stepping up patrols and have good leads that could help them solve at least the dealership case.
The only bias case police have been able to solve has been that of the 19-year-old Yeshiva student, who was jumped by a group of teens. Suspects remain on the loose in all the other cases.
