(JTA) — A synagogue in suburban Washington was spray-painted with swastikas and other racist graffiti.
The vandalism at the Shaare Torah Synagogue, a Conservative shul in Gaithersburg, Md., took place early Tuesday.
The Gaithersburg Police Department has launched an investigation.
“Gaithersburg is not a community that will tolerate such a hate crime,” Mayor Jud Ashman said in a statement Tuesday. “We are an inclusive community, one that prides itself on diversity and collaboration. When such a despicable act is committed, it impacts all of us, regardless of religion, race or creed.”
The vandalism occurred hours after the mayor at a City Council meeting proclaimed April 12-19 as Days of Remembrance in Gaithersburg, a city located 26 miles northwest of Washington. April 16 is Yom Hashoah, or Holocaust Remembrance Day.
