Holocaust memorial vandalized on Yom Kippur eve days after swastika, 'Trump' is spray-painted on Yale Law School steps
Vandals in New York reportedly left anti-Semitic hate symbols on a memorial honoring Holocaust victims on Tuesday, October 8, a day before Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year in Judaism.
Just days prior to the hate crime, a swastika beside the name 'Trump' was also found spray-painted on the steps of Yale's law school. The incidents come amidst increased police security in the wake of the most significant holiday in the Jewish faith.
Associate dean of students at Yale Law School, Ellen Cosgrove, in a statement on the incident said: "We are saddened by this act of hate against our community at any time but understand that this is particularly difficult occurring between the High Holy Days," she told the student newspaper the Yale Daily News.
"Diversity and inclusion are core values of our institution [and] attacks against individual students or communities of students will not be tolerated," she added.
Shortly after the vandalism on the Westchester Holocaust memorial, Westchester County released a statement on its Facebook page, saying that the hateful act was heartbreaking and an investigation has been launched into it.
"On the eve of Yom Kippur, the highest of holy days in the Jewish faith, anti-Semitic materials were discovered today at the Garden of Remembrance in downtown White Plains," the statement said.
"We are enraged by this act and heartbroken that individuals would target members of our community on the most solemn day in their tradition," the statement said.
"County Police are actively investigating and reviewing video of the area. We seek to find and punish those who did this act. We as a County, people of all faiths, stand with our Jewish brothers and sisters today and always," it added.
The county also posted a picture of the Holocaust Garden of Remembrance on its page, saying that the County Police were on high alert and have increased patrols after the incident.
Reports state that in the wake of Yom Kippur, which runs from Tuesday to Wednesday, the New York City police have increased security, stationing 130 cops at city synagogues and 25 additional police cars in predominately Jewish neighborhoods.
NYPD Chief Terence Monahan, at a press conference on Tuesday, said: "There's been some overtime put out, we're figuring a good 20-25 additional cars working in those areas, working around the synagogues, all night with their turret lights on."
"Our neighborhood coordination officers in our steady sectors, have been tasked to go and visit every one of their synagogues that are having services within their sector today. So we're going to have a very large presence out in Brooklyn and throughout the city tonight through Yom Kippur," he added.