Police are investigating pro-Palestine graffiti spray-painted in red on the white marble walls of the Montefiore Orthodox Synagogue in the Highlands this week.
Thursday morning, House Committee Chairman and Maintenance Director Jim Mitchneck worked to cover up the words sprayed onto the front of the building, which read in all caps letter, "Free Palestine" on one side, and "God Bless Gaza" on the other.
Mitchneck, who has led services at the building for the last 14 years and attended since 1982, said he became aware of the graffiti when a parishioner drove by Wednesday down Westford Street and saw the graffiti.
"This just cuts deep," he said, noting he is the grandchild of a Holocaust survivor. "My grandmother told me about her experiences ... and, you know, it starts like this."
Mitchneck said this is not the first time his synagogue suffered a hate crime. In the 1990s, he said a swastika was sprayed onto the building. Then, seven years ago, gang-related tags were sprayed on the front of the building in black paint, in the same spot. Mitchneck worked to cover the paint up then, too, but said those markings were not as disturbing as the ones this week.
"It was just territory marking. We knew those were not targeting," he said.
Mitchneck noted the synagogue has not received threats accompanying these latest markings, but he is still concerned. His synagogue has requested an increase in a police presence for the area.
"Threats are one thing, but when there's activity, it goes to another stage," he said.
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