What police are calling antisemitic graffiti was discovered at Congregation Beth El, in Bethesda, Maryland, two days after a similar discovery at a nearby elementary school.
What police are calling antisemitic graffiti was discovered at Congregation Beth El, in Bethesda, Maryland, two days after authorities say similar language was spray-painted on a nearby elementary school.
Late Tuesday afternoon, Montgomery County police responded to the synagogue, located on Old Georgetown Road, less than a mile from Bethesda Elementary School.
“Responding officers found antisemitic graffiti on a vinyl sign,” police department spokeswoman Shiera Goff told WTOP.
Police aren’t specifying what words were used in the graffiti, and at this point, investigators don’t know whether the two events are related, Goff said.
“The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington is deeply disturbed by the discovery of antisemitic graffiti on a ‘We Support Israel’ sign outside Congregation Beth El of Montgomery County, just two days after similar hateful rhetoric was found at Bethesda Elementary School,” said the group, in a statement to WTOP.
The group said it is in “close contact with local law enforcement,” and encouraged others to speak out.
“We call on our community and allies to continue making it clear that antisemitism and hate speech have no place in Greater Washington,” according to the Jewish Federation statement.
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