Hundreds of headstones were vandalized at a Jewish cemetery in Philadelphia; the damage was discovered less than a week after a similar vandalism incident in Missouri, authorities said. A person visiting the cemetery called the local police department on Sunday (26th Feb) at around 9:40 a.m. to report that three of his relatives’ headstones had been knocked over and damaged.
A police spokesperson said in a statement that the three cemeteries were and approximately 100 additional headstones were found to be knocked over.” apparently sometime after dark Saturday
Police of the Northeast Detectives Division will now conduct a criminal mischief-institutional vandalism investigation, she said.
The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia lists Mount Carmel as a Jewish cemetery.
Spokesperson for Israeli foreign ministry ‘Emmanuel Nahshon’ called the report as a hocking and a source of worry”. But, he added that he had “full confidence” on U.S authorities that they would be able to attach and punish those who are responsible.
The vandalism comes within less than a week after a Jewish cemetery in suburban St. Louis reported more than 150 headstones vandalized many of them tipped over.
The Anti-Defamation League, with the support of the Mizel Family Foundation is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those who are responsible.
Mayor ‘Jim Kenney’ said that authorities were working on the incident and doing everything possible to find those “who desecrated this final resting place.”
He said in a statement “My heart breaks for the families who found their loved ones headstones toppled.” He also said that “Hate is not permissible in Philadelphia.”
Aaron Mallin, discovered the damage when he came to visit his father’s grave. He called the vandalism “very disheartening” and hoped that the incident was not intended as an anti-Semitic attack.
Mallin is hoping that they might be some drunken kids. “But the fact that there’s so many, it leads one to think it could have been targeted,” he said.
Lyft to expand its service in Pennsylvania
AMandeep
