http://www.jewishtimes.com/index.php/jewishtimes/news/jt/local_news/shul_signs_defaced/ Shul Vandalism Suspects Arrested
October 8, 2008
Alan H. Feiler
Managing Editor
Two young adult males and one juvenile male – all reportedly of Jewish backgrounds—were taken into police custody yesterday, Oct. 7, for the defacement of a pair of signs with anti-Semitic graffiti on two synagogue properties.
The suspects were charged with the misdemeanors of destruction of property and damage to the property of a religious entity, according to Cpl. Michael Hill, a spokesman for Baltimore County Police. If convicted, they could face a minimum of six years in prison or $10,000 in fines.
Police identified the adult suspects as Matthew Ian Saunders, 19, of the 7200 block of Brookfalls Terrace in Mount Washington, and Daniel Alexander Diaz, 19, of the unit-block of Sherwood Avenue in Pikesville. Both were being held at Baltimore County Detention Center on $50,000 bail. The juvenile male, 17, of the unit-block of Sherwood Avenue, was released into his parents’ custody.
Cpl. Hill said the suspects will not necessarily be charged with a hate crime. He said investigators do not believe the case is hate-related, even though the defacements occurred during the Days of Awe. He said police authorities could not give a motive yet.
Last Sunday morning, Oct. 5, officials at Baltimore Hebrew Congregation, at 7401 Park Heights Ave., and Beth Tfiloh Synagogue, at 3300 Old Court Road, discovered that signs on their properties were defaced with spray-painted, inverted swastika symbols and the phrases “Nazis” and “WK.” (The latter is still of unknown meaning.) The defacements of the signs were a “mirror image” of each other, according to Cpl. Hill.
The signs publicized the synagogues’ support for the annual campaign of the Associated: Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore. (Mr. Saunders is a BHC congregant, according to the police. The other suspects are not believed to be synagogue members.)
In a statement to the BALTIMORE JEWISH TIMES, Marc B. Terrill, president of the Associated, said, “Obviously, we are disappointed and shocked by the recent vandalism. We are encouraged that the local police authorities acted swiftly and were able to make an arrest of the perpetrators.”
Beth Tfiloh and BHC are located approximately a mile apart in Northwest Baltimore. The defacements took place between 10 p.m. last Saturday, Oct. 4, and 8 the following morning, according to police.
Cpl. Hill said a Pikesville precinct police officer, out on another matter, happened to notice a Dodge Neon with three young males leaving BHC’s parking lot at approximately 3 a.m., and took down the car’s license plate numbers. That later helped police locate the vehicle and apprehend the suspects, Cpl. Hill said. Mr. Saunders was the driver of the car, police said, while the other two spray-painted the signs.
“Thank God, no one was hurt,” said Beth Tfiloh’s Rabbi Mitchell Wohlberg. “Let’s hope they learn from this.”
For BHC’s Rabbi Andrew Busch, the experience was a rude “welcome” to his new spiritual home. But not one that Rabbi Busch, who became senior spiritual leader of Baltimore Hebrew Congregation in July, necessarily took personally.
“This is unpleasant, but it doesn’t define our High Holiday experience, or the Associated campaign,” he said. “The welcome I’ve received from the congregation and community has been wonderful, and I know that most people in Baltimore would find this as disgusting as we do.”
In light of the High Holiday season, Rabbi Busch said the suspects should be viewed in the spirit of repentance and forgiveness.
“As a community, we know this is not the standard way of proceeding,” he said. “My heart goes out to any confused young member of our community who does this kind of thing, and the families supporting them.” When learning of the suspects’ Jewish backgrounds, Rabbi Busch said he was “sure that people [in his congregation] will be upset about this.”
Of the suspects’ Jewishness, Rabbi Wohlberg said, “It does not surprise me. Acts of teenage rebellion take on many forms.”
Prior to the arrests, Cpl. Hill said the fact that only the synagogues’ Associated signs were targeted by vandals was suspicious, and perhaps the perpetrators were intending to send a message to the federation.
“Why not deface the buildings? They targeted this one sign at both locations,” he said. “It does seem odd.”
Even though police officials emphasized that the crimes were not hate-motivated, Arthur C. Abramson, executive director of the Baltimore Jewish Council, said in an interview with WBAL-TV Tuesday night that the suspects might be “self-hating Jews.”
“Hopefully, that’s not the case in this instance, but it could be,” Dr. Abramson said.
Rabbi Busch would not comment on Dr. Abramson’s comments, but said, “I wouldn’t pretend to guess the motivations.”
Rabbi Busch, who previously served the Touro Synagogue in New Orleans (and arrived there shortly before Hurricane Katrina hit), said this was the first time he has served a congregation impacted by anti-Semitic graffiti. He noted that the defacements struck a modern Orthodox synagogue and a Reform temple.
“Regardless of what flavor we are, we’re together to begin with, and not only on negative things,” he said.
Rabbi Busch said BHC immediately contacted the Associated about replacing the defaced sign. “We’ve got three other [Associated] signs up right now,” he said. “It won’t stop us.”
On Monday afternoon, Rabbi Wohlberg predicted that the sign defacements were “an isolated incident” and a “childish prank,” rather than a wave of anti-Semitic activity.
Topic: 3 Jewish thugs deface shul (Read 496 times)