KIEV, Ukraine (JTA) — Vandals painted swastikas and anti-Semitic slogans on the main entrance of a Jewish charity’s building in southern Ukraine.
The Chesed Velvele Jewish charity was vandalized last Friday in the town of Melitopol, in the Zaporozhsky region. Similar graffiti appeared in other town districts that night. According to Svetlana Marshak, a leader of the organization, the Jewish community of Melitopol appealed to law enforcement to investigate the case properly. The local department of Ukraine’s Security Service is investigating the case but no arrests have been reported. The incident received wide coverage in the local media.
Melitopol, a former country vacation spot known for its proximity to the Black Sea, has become a center of Jewish revival. During World War II, Melitopol was in the part of Ukraine that fought vigorously against the Nazi invasion. Today, Melitopol is an industrial center and railway junction with about 170,000 residents.
