Swastikas Scrawled On Jewish Center In Northern Virginia
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
(JTA) — Swastikas and other anti-Semitic graffiti were daubed on a Jewish center and a nearby church in suburban Washington, D.C.
After the vandalism was discovered Tuesday, the Fairfax Country Police opened an investigation into the incidents at the Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia and the Little River United Church of Christ in Annandale, Virginia.
“Hitler was right,” swastikas and the “SS” symbol were found spray-painted on the exterior of the JCC building.
Jeff Dannick, the JCC’s director general, said it was upsetting to have his community targeted on Passover but that the holiday held relevant lessons.
“We retell that story generation to generation every year so that we never forget,” he told the Washington Post Tuesday. “It’s a painful reminder of how ugly and dangerous the world can be, but also how we can overcome it.”
The JCC released a statement Tuesday, saying, “We will not be deterred from our mission of being an open and welcoming place for people of all backgrounds as we continue our operations as normal.”
JCC and church community members began to remove the graffiti on Tuesday.
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