BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (JTA) — At least a dozen headstones were desecrated at a Jewish cemetery in Argentina.
The headstones were upended and damaged at the cemetery in Santiago del Estero, a city of nearly 250,000 located about 620 miles northeast of Buenos Aires. The attack, which is believed to have occurred over the weekend, was discovered on Monday by a cemetery worker.
“Photos were scattered and monuments were damaged in an unprecedented level of violence in our Jewish cemetery,” Hernan Kriscautzky, the Santiago del Estero representative to the Argentine Jewish political umbrella DAIA, told JTA.
Photos of the dead are placed on tombs to help visitors identify the gravesites.
There was no anti-Semitic graffiti or other messages found at the cemetery, which is still active.
Police are investigating the incident.
The neighborhood cemetery next to the Jewish cemetery was not vandalized, though it has been robbed of metals previously, the local newspaper El Liberal reported.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
