OAKLAND >> Worshipers celebrating the Jewish New Year were greeted by paper covering a wall of their temple on Thursday morning, after vandals left anti-Semitic graffiti overnight.
Representatives of Temple Sinai, located at 2808 Summit St., confirmed the vandalism in a Facebook post around 7:30 a.m.
Police said they are investigating the vandalism, which covered about 10 feet of the lower portion of a wall on the Webster Street side of the temple, as a hate crime.
“Hate crimes in our city are unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” police spokeswoman Officer Johnna Watson said. “Oakland is a city that stands against hate and hate crimes.”
The black, spray-painted graffiti message was about 10 feet long, and church officials covered it with white paper in time for an 8:30 a.m. Rosh Hashanah service, celebrating the Jewish New Year. Security patrolled the grounds Thursday morning.
An easel outside urged Temple goers to “Cover words of hate with words of love.” Temple goers added numerous messages on the paper, including “Standing in solidarity and love,” “love overcomes all,” and “We all belong. No hate.”
Sam Schuchat, president of the synagogue, stood outside the temple and said “I’m pretty upset and I’m pretty disappointed.”
But noting that there has been similar acts of vandalism at other Jewish synagogues, Schuchat added “I’m not surprised. I’d like to know the motivation for this.”
He said even though it is the season for forgiveness, he does not know yet if he can do that for the suspect. “It’s very upsetting to our members, some of whom are descendants of Holocaust victims and survivors.”
Oakland attorney Ivan Golde, who has attended services at the synagogue for more than 30 years, was not forgiving.
He called the hateful writing a “cowardly act done by someone in the middle of the night who wants to take away from a Jewish festive occasion. It’s just a shame that we all can’t get along and accept each other.”
The graffiti at Temple Sinai is the latest in a rash of hate crimes that have plagued the East Bay in recent weeks, including at Jewish synagogues in Alameda and Piedmont.
“While this is surely upsetting, this will not define our experience of coming together as a community,” the Temple Sinai’s Facebook post stated Thursday morning. “Our strength and resilience will sound through our voices in song and prayer.”
Police assigned officers to the church on Thursday, and they were planning to be there all day, Watson said. Patrols in the area will increase in the days ahead.
