Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans, ADL, and the New Orleans Clergy Council Respond to Anti-Semitic Graffiti at Northshore Jewish Congregation

On Wednesday, September 5, 2018, the Northshore Jewish Congregation in Mandeville, Louisiana, was defaced with anti-Semitic and white supremacist graffiti. The Greater New Orleans Jewish community, represented by ADL (Anti-Defamation League), the New Orleans Clergy Council, and the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans, collectively condemns this despicable and cowardly act.

Anti-Semitism and white supremacist imagery and rhetoric have no place in our world. We thank those who have joined us in denouncing this act, and call upon our Greater New Orleans community at large to do the same.

Federation CEO Arnie D. Fielkow and Federation Board Chair Henry Miller commented jointly, “Our community remains unified in opposition to white supremacy. Hate for one is hate for all, and as such, we condemn all forms of bigotry and discrimination.”

ADL Regional Director (South Central Region) Aaron Ahlquist noted, “This odious act of anti-Semitic vandalism invoking white supremacist ideology comes at a time when we, as a society, are seeing a significant rise in anti-Semitic incidents - there was a 77% increase in anti-Semitic incidents last year alone. Hate of any kind must not be normalized, thus we hope that the entire community roundly condemns the vandalism at the Northshore Jewish Congregation. As part of that effort, ADL is offering a reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the perpetrator or perpetrators of this crime.”

Rabbi Gabriel Greenberg, Chair of the New Orleans Clergy Council, said, “The Jewish community, and all of its rabbinic and clergy leadership, stands together with our brothers and sisters at the Northshore Jewish Congregation.  We must rededicate our actions moving forward towards teshuva, tefila, u'tzedakah: repentance, crying out against injustice, and continuing to create holy and righteous communities here in southern Louisiana and the world.”

As we usher in the Jewish New Year of 5779, we hope for a year of unity, peace, and tolerance for all.