Liberal-area synagogue desecration & tauntings pierce complacency

Rabbi doubles-down after vandalism (Photo: Howard Cramer)

Worshipers at the Orthodox Jewish synagogue, Living Torah Center in Santa Monica, Calif ("known as the Home of The Homeless" according to Harry Shearer) are no strangers to antagonism. Last Sukkot, their backyard Sukkah was vandalized with a swastika and smeared crap. Recently, a black intruder disrupted prayers with a "Heil Hitler" and machine-gun rat-a-tat feign. But when the window displaying their 6-foot menorah was smeared with excrement and food garbage, Breitbart News reporter / congregant Joel Pollak attracted global attention to the issue.

Disruptor taunted with Nazi attack during prayers, Nov 17

Synagogue window cleaned from smeared feces Christmas Eve

Santa Monica Synagogue Smeared with Feces in Attack on Chanukah by Joel Pollak, Dec 25, 2016

A local synagogue entrance was smeared with feces and food in an apparent antisemitic attack on the first night of Chanukah on Saturday night. Congregants arriving for prayers on Sunday morning at the Living Torah Center, a synagogue affiliated with the Orthodox Chabad movement, were shocked by the vandalism, which one of the rabbis cleaned as best he could before services. Some feces remained lodged in the upper corner of the building’s facade, and marred a window facing Wilshire Boulevard. Rabbi Boruch Rabinowitz told Breitbart News that the attack was not random. The synagogue may have attracted additional attention because of the menorah lit in the window. Jewish law dictates that the Chanukah menorah be placed in a window facing the outside world in order to publicize the holiday. 

When the temple learned that the TV news was finally interested in their situation, rather than downplaying their window menorah out of fear that it would attract more trouble, Rabbi Boruch and Mrs. Rivka Rabinowitz elected to organize a public menorah lighting party Monday evening. They welcomed the community to come participate in a lighting of the besmirched window's menorah. Even area Gentiles appeared in support.

Santa Monica Synagogue Turns Darkness to Light on Chanukah by Joel Pollak Dec 27, 2016

A synagogue that was vandalized on the first night of Chanukah, with feces and food smeared across the front entrance near a menorah display, held a joyful public menorah lighting on Monday evening to celebrate unity and tolerance.

Community joins in ceremony (Photo: Howard Cramer)

Rabbi Boruch Rabinowitz of the Living Torah Center, a congregation affiliated with the Orthodox Jewish movement of Lubavitch Chabad, told a crowd of over 100 people who had gathered on Wilshire Boulevard that the community would set aside the darkness of the event and spread the light of the holiday instead. “We will make the light burn … we will give the light to another, that they should pass it to another … protect the flame of Godliness.” “It’s not only [that] we care that this synagogue should not be desecrated, but of course we care that no holy place should be desecrated, not in the United States of America, and not anywhere around the world,” the rabbi said. 

Anti-Israel protestors in Chicago

Christmas and Easter has historically brought violence and vandalism to Jewish minorities. Jews in Eastern and Western Europe have experienced a rise in anti-Semitism in the past 15-years- from both Christians and Muslims. But have North American Jews, living in suburban and urban liberal enclaves since the civil-rights movement ''60s, been too cavalier in assuming resentment of Israel and Jews is no social or physical threat.

Is the largely Muslim anti-Semitism of Europe growing on North American shores? Are diaspora Jews oblivious to the extent of anti-Semitism revealed through online media news, posts, and comments? JooTube.TV reports from the post-vandalism vigil to see what  lessons can be learned from the Santa Monica Smearing, the ensuing vigil of support, and in which ways the event might influence how Jews think and adapt to anti-Semitism in our communities.

Valerie Jarrett, Pres.Obama, Hillary Clinton

Are the 70% of Jews who supported Obama and Hillary Clinton feeling betrayed by Obama and Secy of State John Kerry at their holiday-week back-stab of the Jewish State?

Many people assumed that the election of Donald Trump would be a panacea for Zionism. Until January 20th, the Obama administration is setting-up UN resolutions beyond US law which will legally vilify Israel - and socially vilify her supporters in their own communities. More anti-Semitic bigotry and discrimination will surely grow. 

(Will you please support the continued services of JooTube to interpret and depict the battle for the just defense of Zionism and Jewish safety)? Click link here or in the right margin of the JooTube.TV site. Thank you and may you be blessed for a safe, healthy new year!