A group of unidentified vandals this weekend desecrated the Jewish cemetery of Fegersheim near Strasbourg destroying nearly 80 graves. It is the fourth attack on a Jewish cemetery in the region within the last two months. The area is in eastern France near the West German border.
The Chief Rabbi of the Strasbourg region, Max Warchawski, said he was convinced the attack was a “concerted and deliberate action” rather than the work of unorganized hoodlums. The president of the Strasbourg Jewish community, Jean Kahane, has lodged a formal complaint. The police are investigating the incident but, thus far, no trace of the perpetrators has been found.
In one of the earlier attacks, heavy machinery was used and the destruction was so savage that 198 graves out of a total of 264 were destroyed beyond recognition.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
