Anti-Semitic Graffiti Painted on Jewish Educational Institute Near Cleveland

A swastika and other obscene graffiti were painted on several Jewish buildings in the Cleveland suburb of University Heights last night, according to the Cleveland Jewish News.

The anti-Semitic graffiti was found on four buildings including the Jewish Learning Connection. A swastika was spray painted on the exterior wall of Freidman, Leavitt & Associates, Inc. and other obscene graffiti was found on the outside walls of the Jewish Learning Connection, which is housed inside The Waxman Torah Center on S. Green Road. Graffiti was also found on Jewish-owned business, Mika’s Wig Boutique & Spa and a nearby grocery store.

According to co-partner at Freidman, Leavitt, David Leavitt, the other graffiti consisted of “a giant penis with a 666,” the number associated with the devil.

Friedman Leavitt has been located in the building for 30 years without a previous incident. David Leavitt said, “I think it a sad world we live in, so much hate. It just makes me feel bad about the world. I don’t know why people need to hate. If everybody would just love each other, we would be a much better place.”

The University Heights Police Department said an investigation has been opened and surveillance video footage is being reviewed.

Rabbi Yossi Nisenbaum of the Jewish Learning Connection told the Cleveland Jewish News, “The swastika wasn’t on our building, it was on the building right next to us like 5 feet away, facing us,” he said. “We’re assuming it was intended toward us because we’re the Jewish center there. And on the other side, something about G-d is something, but I couldn’t exactly make out the words. There were other things, curse words. It looked like they were running out of spray paint.”

“We’re pretty concerned, it’s pretty scary,” Nisenbaum said. “It’s not a common thing to find on a synagogue.”

At Mika’s Wig Boutique & Spa, the graffiti read, “666 PARTY WITH THE DEVIL B*TCH” along with other images.

University Heights is the heart of Cleveland’s Jewish community.

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