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Vandals Paint Swastikas on Columbus Synagogues: Burn Museum Paintings

July 20, 1959
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Anti-Semitic vandals this week-end painted huge swastikas with the words “Heil Hitler” on two Jewish houses of worship here and burned thousands of dollars worth of paintings of the Columbus Museum of Arts and Crafts, police reported today.

After destroying the paintings at the Museum, the vandals painted the same swastikas on the museum as had been painted on the Columbus synagogues. Authorities estimated the damage to the art works at several thousand dollars. They were attempting to assess the number of paintings burned and damage done. Local police tended to dismiss the incident lightly, stating it had nothing to do with prejudice but was only vandalism.

There are only about 1,000 Jews in Columbus. Local Jewish leaders are abstaining from commenting on the incidents. Among the burned paintings were art works that were a part of a prize-winning exhibit from New York.

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