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Jewish Cemetery in Philadelphia Desecrated, 55 Tombstones Overturned

The Adath Jeshurun cemetery, in the Frankford section of Philadelphia, was desecrated by vandals who overturned 55 gravestones, breaking or damaging eight of the markers, police here reported today. Walter Hand, superintendent of the cemetery, who lives at the edge of the burial grounds, discovered the desecrations and informed police. While the police authorities suspect […]

May 10, 1962
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The Adath Jeshurun cemetery, in the Frankford section of Philadelphia, was desecrated by vandals who overturned 55 gravestones, breaking or damaging eight of the markers, police here reported today.

Walter Hand, superintendent of the cemetery, who lives at the edge of the burial grounds, discovered the desecrations and informed police. While the police authorities suspect juvenile vandals, detectives said that some of the stones were so heavy–weighing as much as 1,200 pounds–that it must have taken a group of people, perhaps using ropes, to overturn the stones.

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