Montgomery County police are investigating antisemitic graffiti discovered Tuesday morning outside an Olney synagogue.
Rabbi Jonah Layman of the Shaare Tefila Congregation said he learned about the graffiti after a Maryland state senator’s son saw the markings from the school bus and called his father.
Layman said he drove to the synagogue and found its permanent sign bearing the congregation’s name and two banners, one reading “Hate Has No Home Here” and another expressing support for Israel, had been defaced.
“Defaced with some acronym that I had never seen before, AZAB, and the Israel sign also had the word ‘genocide’ on it,” he said. “Our Shaare Tefila permanent sign had a swastika on it.”
It’s believed the vandalism happened sometime overnight into Tuesday morning.
Montgomery County police confirmed they went to the congregation around 8:30 a.m. Tuesday for a report of antisemitic activity.
The synagogue’s entrance sign was defaced with “AZAB,” which is understood to stand for “all Zionists are (obscenity)” and resembles the Hebrew word for “suffering” or “forsake.”
“This was very disturbing, to say the least, to see something like this. But at the same time, tragically not surprising, because of the rise of antisemitism and hate in the world around us,” Layman said.
Layman said this is not the first time the congregation has been targeted. He said another banner supporting Israel was marked with the word “genocide” last year. He said incidents like this carry a significant emotional weight to the community.
“It causes fear and feelings of stress and tension and anxiety in our community, and that’s just not the way people are supposed to treat one another,” he said.
Layman said he hopes whoever is responsible is found and faces charges, but he also wishes he could sit down with them to better understand their motivation.
“We’re all human beings, and hate doesn’t accomplish anything. It’s better to work together to solve our problems,” he said.
Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich condemned the vandalism in a statement, calling it appalling and saying he condemns all acts of antisemitism.
“Antisemitism is on the rise across the country, and incidents like this deepen the anxiety and pain felt by our Jewish neighbors,” Elrich said.
Elrich said the county takes every hate crime and bias incident seriously and has strengthened efforts to respond to them.
“To those who commit acts of hate: you will be held accountable. To our Jewish community: you are not alone. We stand with you, and we will continue working tirelessly to keep every resident safe and ensure that Montgomery County remains a place where everyone is welcome and respected,” Elrich said.
Layman said support from the community and congregants after the vandalism has made a difference, noting that members have stepped forward offering to help replace the vandalized signs.
“We are stronger when we stand together and we understand that we support one another,” Layman said.
Montgomery County police said the case remains under investigation and no suspects have been identified.
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