Charleston, SC – Two downtown Charleston roommates have been arrested and accused of vandalizing the Coming Street Cemetery, the South’s oldest Jewish burial ground.
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Christopher C. Gersie, 24, and Ross Todd, 18, both of Coming Street, are charged with vandalizing 30-40 graves, according to the Charleston County Detention Center.
Police Investigator Robert Feeters found a witness who helped him identify the suspects, said Charles Francis, police public information officer.
Authorities estimate that the damage to the cemetery, owned by Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim Synagogue, could be as much as $80,000.
On March 15, the synagogue reported that 35 to 40 grave sites had been vandalized. A police report said several headstones and pillars were knocked over and broken and that stones and bricks from some graves were removed or broken.
The cemetery dates back to 1763.
The cemetery contains nearly 600 marble and brownstone grave markers, including columns, box tombs, obelisks and table-top tombs. Most date between the late 18th century and mid 19th century.
Some of the grave stone artwork is signed by local sculptors and stonecutters.
The cemetery includes the graves of Marx E. Cohen Jr. (1839-1865), a Confederate soldier killed in the Civil War; and Joshua Lazarus (1791-1861), former president of the synagogue and of the Charleston Gas Light Co. It is unclear whether either sustained any damage.
A stuccoed, brick wall surrounds the cemetery, and portions of that wall are original. The burial ground is not open to the public.
Both suspects were released after their arrests. Gersie’s bail was $25,000 and Todd’s was $35,000, according to the jail.
Are these vandals paying for the damage they did??
This is shameful behavior and I am certain very unusual for this city. Most Southerners are very polite and friendly to Yidden. Hopefully the community there will rally support to prevent shameful act like these from happening again.
Congratulations to Investigator Robert Feeters and to the brave witness for getting these two haters off the streets. Excellent!
There were more Jews in Charleston, SC, than in NY at one time. Charleston currently has a very nice Jewish community, which includes an Orthodox shul, a Chabad House, and other Jewish institutions. May the community grow and may we only hear of good things in the future.
The Goyim in Charleston have more respect for Jews than, unfortunately, many others up north, including some others of our own.
I have been there many times, and have done business there. I have NEVER felt one drop of anti-semitism. They are definately “Jew Friendly”
Have the vandals ever spoken about why they did this? Were they drunk? Stupid? Anti-semitic? High school drop-outs? Haters? Pranksters? All of the above? Will we ever know? An attack on any Jew or Jewish institution, merely because they are Jewish or a Jewish institution, is an attack on ME! I do not live in the area serviced by this synagogue, nor do I have anyone of my immediate friends or family interred in their cemetery, but I feel their pain at the discovery of this terrible attack on our honored dead. These perpetrators are cowards of the lowest level to direct their wanton destructive activity against those who cannot fight back. Shame on them!
I’m one of the boy’s who vandalized this graveyard. No!!! I was not drunk or under the influence of anything, I had a bad night at work and lived right next the cemetery. This year I dropped down to a part time student to work two full time jobs to pay back everything i owed. I worked in the graveyard and physically fixed everything I broke, plus more than enough community service hours. I can honestly tell you I will never ruin anything or harm anything ever again and I understand how bad I fucked up. I paid $3500 to the jail, and I’m still working on the money I owe the synagogue. I will have them paid off in two more months, with a total of $2500 to them. Shame on me, I deserve all the punishment I received. I only hope that the families I hurt will forgive me. I am much more in control of my life now.