Vandalized Jewish Philadelphia Cemetery Restored
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
By Josh Nathan-Kazis October 23, 2017
A Jewish cemetery in Philadelphia that was vandalized in February is now fully repaired, according to a statement from the Jewish Federation of Philadelphia, which led the restoration.
The $145,000 restoration project fixed damage to the nearly 275 tombstones found toppled and broken earlier this year. The funds came out of $288,000 donors gave to fix the vandalized tombstones. The remainder of the donations were spent on general repairs inside the cemetery.
“The massive outpouring of support we’ve received from the city of Philadelphia and from communities across the world has been truly astonishing,” Jewish Federation of Philadelphia president Naomi Adler said in a statment.
The vandalism drew international attention at the time. It came amid a wave of concerns of growing anti-Semitism, inspired in part by a rash of bomb threats to Jewish institutions. An Israeli Jewish teen was later charged with making those threats.
Philadelphia mayor Jim Kenney will tour the cemetery on Tuesday.
Contact Josh Nathan-Kazis at [email protected] or on Twitter, @joshnathankazis.
Why I became the Forward’s editor-in-chief
You are surely a friend of the Forward if you’re reading this. And so it’s with excitement and awe — of all that the Forward is, was, and will be — that I introduce myself to you as the Forward’s newest editor-in-chief.
And what a time to step into the leadership of this storied Jewish institution! For 129 years, the Forward has shaped and told the American Jewish story. I’m stepping in at an intense time for Jews the world over. We urgently need the Forward’s courageous, unflinching journalism — not only as a source of reliable information, but to provide inspiration, healing and hope.
, editor-in-chiefSupport our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
