Oregon Holocaust memorial defaced with swastikas and antisemitic slurs
By Ron Kampeas May 4, 2021
(JTA) — A Holocaust memorial in Portland, Oregon, was defaced with swastikas and antisemitic slurs.
Police discovered the vandalism over the weekend covering a wall of the memorial in the Washington Park neighborhood and appearing elsewhere near the memorial, the local NBC affiliate KGW reported. There are no suspects.
The memorial was created by Holocaust survivors who lived locally and includes names of their family members who perished in the war, Judy Margles, the director of the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education, told the news station.
“It’s very twisted. It’s very visceral, I have to say, when you hear about something — I think my whole body just went numb,” Margles said, describing her reaction when police alerted her to the vandalism on Sunday.
The city’s mayor, Ted Wheeler, condemned the vandalism.
“The damage to the Oregon Holocaust Memorial is heartbreaking, and it’s particularly painful that it happened during Jewish American Heritage Month,” Wheeler said on Twitter. “I denounce hate crimes, anti-Semitism, and white supremacy.”
Hello, fellow Forward reader! I’m Joel Brown, a Forward reader and supporter for more than 15 years, and currently the chair of the board of directors.
I’m an avid Forward reader because it ticks so many of my essential boxes: excellent journalism, Jewish focus and diverse viewpoints. In today’s political climate, what I most appreciate is the Forward’s independence — made possible by the generosity of its membership.
The Forward is committed to bringing you unbiased, nuanced Jewish news. From my position as board chair, I see an exciting future as we expand our position as the definitive independent voice of contemporary American Judaism.
That’s why I’m paying it Forward, by matching $36,000 of reader gifts. It’s an investment in the Forward’s newsroom, to continue telling the American Jewish story with truth and independence.
— Joel Brown, Forward board chair
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
