Dallas, TX – Natalie and Yohai Pinhas don’t think it was Halloween pranksters that spray-painted obscene and anti-semitic graffiti on the sidewalk and near the front door of their kosher restaurant and market in Far North Dallas.
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“It could be, but why curse? Mr. Pinhas said Sunday after his wife, Natalie found the vandalism when she arrived at the restaurant Sunday morning. “”I believe it’s not Halloween.”
Mark Briskman, ADL (Anti-Defamation League) regional director in Dallas, said such incidents were rare in this area. He confirmed the burglary last week of a synagogue in Sherman in which property was damaged and items were taken.
A link between the cases seems unlikely, Briskman said, because Sherman police arrested two suspects in that case Thursday night or early Friday morning. The vandalism at Natalie’s Kitchen was done Saturday night.
Briskman said the Sherman case appears to be a crime of opportunity with alcohol involved rather than a hate crime. He said similar offenses have been reported by Sherman-area churches.
The vandalism at Natalie’s Kitchen likely will qualify as a hate crime given the content of the messages, he said, but there were elements included that make it seem unlikely to be the work of an organized anti-semitic group.
The good news is that fewer jewish organizations and schools are sponsoring Halloween related or theme events this year. Its amazing how many yiddeshe families, though, allow their kids to go trick or treating. Most of the candies they collect may be kosher but for many of us, Halloween still is a goiyeshe celebrtion and has little relationship with yiddishkeit.
i wont forget…..holloween …the skootzim targeted the shul……g-t beheet you wore a yalmuka….then you got a free egg (and it wasnt hardboiled)…and what about .
My Rav (Orthodox) holds that Halloween is no longer a goyishe holiday, but rather it is an American holiday (like Thanksgiving and 4th of July) and it is entirely Muttar to partake in the festivities
How can yidden have a “Flexible view ” on adopting goyish min hagim. Then you wonder why theres assimilation and intermarriage?
“there is a surprisingly high percentage of secular and MO jewish kids who go trick or treating or participate in events with a Halloween theme.”
What on earth are you talking about. I’ve never known a single “MO jewish kid” who ever observed any aspects of the day.
Name 1 mo Rav who paskens this way?
My aunt who went to frum school in the 1960’s used to dress up in a costume and go trickortreating to the neighbors… they didn’t know any better in those days and now her sons are in Mir and Lakewood so go figure ?