Police in New York City are searching for an unidentified vandal who was seen defacing a major Manhattan synagogue with antisemitic graffiti on Saturday evening.
The incident occurred at around 7 PM on Saturday at Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun on the Upper East Side. Surveillance footage shows a man approach the historic house of worship, which was founded a century and a half ago, and draw a hateful message on an exterior display board with a sharpie pen.
WANTED for a Crimianl Mischief the Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun Synagogue #Manhattan @NYPD19pct on 8/12/23 @ 7:00PM . . The individual then wrote anti-Semitic graffiti with a marker on a display screen attached to the Synagogue Reward up to $3500 Call 1-800-577-TIPS pic.twitter.com/95c1Hgeyz3
— NYPD Crime Stoppers (@NYPDTips) August 13, 2023
In a statement, Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun said, “We take this matter seriously and are treating it with the utmost urgency. We immediately reported the incident to the 19th precinct, which has labeled the incident a hate crime. We are closely cooperating with the precinct’s investigation. Additionally, the Community Security Initiative is actively involved in addressing this issue and ensuring the safety of our Congregation.”
Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine commented on Sunday, “Kehilath Jeshurun isn’t just any synagogue. It’s one of the most prominent in Manhattan. The incident last night on the Upper East Side is deeply disturbing.”
Watch a Fox 5 New York report on the incident here:
