(JTA) — A New York man was arrested and charged with hate crimes for allegedly vandalizing an Orthodox synagogue in Brooklyn.
Osman Butt, 25, was charged with burglary and criminal mischief in the early Monday morning vandalism against the Shore Parkway Jewish Center, Hamodia reported.
Butt allegedly used a flagpole to break several windows, according to police sources cited by Hamodia. He then entered the building and continued to damage property.
“The perpetrator intentionally targeted the house of worship during the holiday of Sukkot,” New York Assemblyman Assemblyman William Colton said, citing a report from one of the synagogue’s board members. “He broke windows and viciously damaged and destroyed symbols of the Sukkot holiday, which is a very disturbing act of a hate crime.”
The local chapter of the Anti-Defamation League said in a tweet: “We are deeply unsettled to learn that a synagogue’s window in Brooklyn was damaged. This should never happen but it is painful to see one of our spiritual homes vandalized during the festival of Sukkot. TY @NYPDHateCrimes for swiftly investigating.”
