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vandalism in south orange

Rep. Mikie Sherrill responds to antisemitic vandalism in her district — without mentioning antisemitism

Sherrill said the graffiti 'is not only a crime, but is contrary to the values we share as a diverse community'

Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ)

Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) on Monday condemned an act of antisemitic vandalism and harassment at a synagogue in her district over the weekend, though didn’t label the threat specifically as an act of anti-Jewish hate.

A group of pro-Palestinian protesters gathered on Sunday outside the Oheb Shalom synagogue in South Lawn, N.J., to protest a presentation by members of an Israeli Defense Forces search-and-rescue unit, according to a statement from Oheb Shalom’s rabbi, Abigail Treu.

Protesters screamed at attendees and those driving past that they were “baby killers.” Some members of the protest group spray painted “terrorists this way,” with an arrow pointed at the synagogue, on the ground during the protest.

“My office is in touch with the mayor to gather all the facts about this concerning incident. Houses of worship must be protected and I’m grateful for the South Orange Police that ensured safety today,” Sherrill said in a statement to Jewish Insider. “Although we must ensure space for First Amendment activities, going onto private property and spray painting ‘terrorists this way’ is not only a crime, but is contrary to the values we share as a diverse community. We should all work together to make sure people are allowed to worship without fear.”

Treu, Oheb Shalom’s rabbi, said that a “caring neighbor” had cleaned the graffiti, and that the police and local prosecutor’s office are investigating the incident. Sheena Collum, the mayor of South Orange, said that police are treating the incident as a bias crime and had identified a person of interest.

The program this morning featured an elite rescue unit of the Israel Defense Force, whose sole mission is search and rescue. This unit has saved the lives of people in Israel and around the world, including from natural disasters in countries such as Turkey and Haiti,” Treu said in a statement. “Ironically, as protesters outside were calling those driving past ‘baby killers,’ those attending the program were hearing firsthand accounts of infants and children rescued around the world — including civilians in Gaza during this war.”

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