Chicago’ IL – Three synagogues were defaced by vandals in the Chicago area.
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Two men sprayed graffiti and shattered the windows of a Lincolnwood synagogue this morning, police and a congregation official said.
At about 4 a.m. the caretakers of the Lincolnwood Jewish Synagogue, 7117 N. Crawford Ave., were awakened by the sound of breaking glass, said Steve Kramer, the synagogue’s head of security.
The glass doors at the front of the building had been shattered by a brick and someone had scrawled “Free Palestine” and “Death to Israel” on the building in orange spray paint.
The caretakers reported seeing two men running from the temple, he said.
Services were held at the synagogue this morning, Kramer said. “Everybody saw it,” he said. “You can’t walk in the front door; you have to walk in a side door.”
Lincolnwood police believe the same people may have vandalized two West Rogers Park synagogues in the area of Pratt and California Avenues.
Investigators are working with Chicago police and the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, said Lt. Mark Brines. “We’re taking it seriously,” he said.
![Security cameras captured video of the men damaging the Lubavitch Mesivta of Chicago at around 4:40 am of Shabbos day. Rabbi Moshe Perlstein said the footage shows one man spray-painting the side of the building while the other ran around to the front and threw rocks at the front door, breaking a glass window. The video has been turned over to police. [photo credit: collive.com]](http://www.vinnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/chicago4.jpg "chicago4")
Also, Anshei Motele, The Lubavitch Mesivta and Hanna Sacks Beis Yaakov (all these three being in chicago) were sprayed with those same messages. I believe that they were in orange spray paint as well. The Lubavitch Mesivta’s front glass door was shattered as well.
Just a matter of time.
Did they get the Moshiach Center on N California? Its a block or so from W. Pratt.
this isn’t a first for the mesivta
We, as Jews, are NOT safe anywhere. This behavior is going on worldwide – just read any newspaper and you will see it. It is time to be even more aware of our surroundings, and time to implement more security measures. Nothing good can come from all this hatred of our people.