(JTA) — A swastika was carved onto the door frame of a synagogue in northeastern Ohio.
The vandalism at the more than 100-year-old Agudath B’nai Israel Synagogue in Lorain, Ohio — a suburb located on the west side of Cleveland — took place on March 1, though it was first reported on Saturday,
In addition to the swastika, the words “We will rise and gas you,” followed by an expletive, also were found on the synagogue.
“The act of ignorance, vandalism, and anti-Semitism does not reflect our neighbors in the City of Lorain,” the synagogue said in a statement. “We are committed to continue to be symbol of tolerance in this community now and in the future. ABI provides education about Judaism, the Holocaust, and tolerance to schools and other organizations,”
There are no suspects in the case. A synagogue surveillance camera did not record the door where the swastika was carved.
Lorain’s mayor, Chase Ritenauer, is scheduled to attend services Saturday to show his support for the Jewish community.
“What occurred is completely the opposite of what we’re all about,” Ritenauer, a Catholic, told the Cleveland Jewish News. “So we’re going to make sure to do everything we can to bring [the perpetrators] to justice.”
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