Second Jewish cemetery vandalized

What the hell is going on?? First St. Louis, now Philly.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/26/us/headstones-toppled-jewish-cemetery-philadelphia.html?_r=0

Edited to add: A very tiny part of me believes this election, if we survive the outcome, will leave the country better off for having brought to the surface the hatred that's clearly been simmering underneath.

Yep, I'm going for the silver lining of Trump.

A relative who lives about 15 minutes away from the cemetery went there this morning and sent pictures to me. I'm not holding my breath to see if Trump condemns this act. He was finally forced to say something last week, but that was it.

If this keeps upTrump will give another response similar to this:

Then everyone will stop.

Spicer condemned the latest JCC bomb threats and the Philadelphia Jewish Cemetery vandalism at his press conference today.

What about the shooting in Olathe, Kansas? It seems plausible that Adam Purinton was a troubled man who was inspired by Trump's appeal to xenophobia to shoot some brown people.

I'm waiting for Trump to condemn the shootings of Muslims or people assumed to be Muslims.

cramer said:

Spicer condemned the latest JCC bomb threats and the Philadelphia Jewish Cemetery vandalism at his press conference today.

tjohn said:

What about the shooting in Olathe, Kansas? It seems plausible that Adam Purinton was a troubled man who was inspired by Trump's appeal to xenophobia to shoot some brown people.

I'm waiting for Trump to condemn the shootings of Muslims people assumed to be Muslims.

cramer said:

Spicer condemned the latest JCC bomb threats and the Philadelphia Jewish Cemetery vandalism at his press conference today.

+1

According to the people the terrorist sought shelter with, this madman told them he had shot some "Iranians". Iranians, Indians they are have brown skins. And in this President's America that is like having a target on their back.

librarylady said:

According to the people the terrorist sought shelter with, this madman told them he had shot some "Iranians". Iranians, Indians they are have brown skins. And in this President's America that is like having a target on their back.

I'm going to speculate that those who think it is OK to shoot Iranians in cold blood aren't really paying attention to the differences between Arabs and North Africans and Egyptians and South Asians and Persians. They's all foreigners.

You're right, it was a silly thing for me to say. I'm just trying to make sense of it all and hoping that we come out in one piece on the other side. I was so unaware of how much hate there is in this country.

krugle said:

Yep, I'm going for the silver lining of Drumpf.

Edited to add: I apologize that "Trump" was changed to "Drumpf" in my quote of krugle above. I have an extension running in my browser that changes it automatically and I didn't notice the carry-over.

The fifth wave of bomb threats hit 16 JCC's in 8 states today. Some JCC's were hit for the second or third time.

I should have known, but was also unaware of how much hate there is in our country. What's happening is breaking my heart.

angelak said:

You're right, it was a silly thing for me to say. I'm just trying to make sense of it all and hoping that we come out in one piece on the other side. I was so unaware of how much hate there is in this country.

krugle said:

Yep, I'm going for the silver lining of Drumpf.

cramer said:

The fifth wave of bomb threats hit 16 JCC's in 8 states today. Some JCC's were hit for the second or third time.

The whole thing (bomb threats+grave desecrations) seems so strategic -- it's really creepy. Not just hateful. Very purposeful.

especially given that Lent has just started. Pogroms, anyone??

It seems coordinated. Professional. That + the hatred is what's creeping me out. This is not random acts of hatred.

angelak said:

cramer said:

The fifth wave of bomb threats hit 16 JCC's in 8 states today. Some JCC's were hit for the second or third time.

The whole thing (bomb threats+grave desecrations) seems so strategic -- it's really creepy. Not just hateful. Very purposeful.

Actually, Lent starts on Wednesday (3/1) but doesn't matter; I don't think it is people attending to Lenten church obligations who are behind these despicable acts.

angelak said:

It seems coordinated. Professional. That + the hatred is what's creeping me out.

angelak said:

cramer said:

The fifth wave of bomb threats hit 16 JCC's in 8 states today. Some JCC's were hit for the second or third time.

The whole thing (bomb threats+grave desecrations) seems so strategic -- it's really creepy. Not just hateful. Very purposeful.

The calls were all made at the same time from different phones.

I edited the quote above to include "It seems coordinated. Professional. That + the hatred is what's creeping me out. This is not random acts of hatred"

cramer said:

The calls were all made at the same time from different phones.

I didn't know that. Haven't had a chance to read up yet. Wow.

Orthodox Lent started on Monday (Clean Monday).

So it depends which calendar you follow: Julian or Gregorian.

Just read on Twitter -- synagogues are being targeted too? Is that correct?

angelak said:

cramer said:

The calls were all made at the same time from different phones.

I didn't know that. Haven't had a chance to read up yet. Wow.

honestly, I'm just waiting for the blood libel to start circulating again. Everything else has.

joanne said:

Orthodox Lent started on Monday (Clean Monday).

So it depends which calendar you follow: Julian or Gregorian.

True, but since Orthodox Christians make up about 0.5% of the US population, the Orthodox liturgical calendar is not generally taken for the standard. http://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/

I do not disagree with you about the possibility of the blood libel lie returning. But I think it unlikely that religious motives - no matter how twisted - are seriously in play here.

(Finnegan, I'm not measuring the Christian calendar by my expectations. As those who've read my posts over the last twenty-odd years know, I currently work with a NFP based in a Greek Orthodox community hall. I'm Jewish, educated for 13 years elementary and high school at a Methodist Ladies College where my best friend [with whom I'm still in daily contact] was a Catholic girl) (Oh, and if you hadn't worked it out, I'm Australian, in Australia)

Seriously, the past two years have seen an upsurge in the horrible slanders about the Protocols, and the fictions of the Bank of Rome conspiracies (not the real banking scandals, which are bad enough when any of those are revealed). The Anti-Defamation League will confirm, if asked, that any Christian holy day sees a rise in attacks and threats, and historically these are themed to suit the Saint or motif of the festival.

This mindless "drunken vandalism" is driven by ill-defined religious bigotry at the very least (if the lawyers are good).

I apologize that "Trump" was changed to "Drumpf" in my quote of krugle below. I have an extension running in my browser that changes it automatically and I didn't notice the carry-over.

Sweetsnuggles said:

I should have known, but was also unaware of how much hate there is in our country. What's happening is breaking my heart.

angelak said:

You're right, it was a silly thing for me to say. I'm just trying to make sense of it all and hoping that we come out in one piece on the other side. I was so unaware of how much hate there is in this country.

krugle said:

Yep, I'm going for the silver lining of Drumpf.

A Trump surrogate suggests that Democrats may be behind JCC threats:

"It's not yet clear who the #JCC offenders are. Don't forget @TheDemocrats effort to incite violence at Trump rallies"

https://twitter.com/Scaramucci/status/836608285562269696

these people can't see the dirt under their fingernails, but they are dirty.

cramer said:

A Trump surrogate suggests that Democrats may be behind JCC threats:

"It's not yet clear who the #JCC offenders are. Don't forget @TheDemocrats effort to incite violence at Trump rallies"

https://twitter.com/Scaramucci/status/836608285562269696

They are so incredibly shameless.

hoops said:

these people can't see the dirt under their fingernails, but they are dirty.

cramer said:

A Drumpf surrogate suggests that Democrats may be behind JCC threats:

"It's not yet clear who the #JCC offenders are. Don't forget @TheDemocrats effort to incite violence at Drumpf rallies"

https://twitter.com/Scaramucci/status/836608285562269696

joanne said:

(Finnegan, I'm not measuring the Christian calendar by my expectations. As those who've read my posts over the last twenty-odd years know, I currently work with a NFP based in a Greek Orthodox community hall. I'm Jewish, educated for 13 years elementary and high school at a Methodist Ladies College where my best friend [with whom I'm still in daily contact] was a Catholic girl) (Oh, and if you hadn't worked it out, I'm Australian, in Australia)

Seriously, the past two years have seen an upsurge in the horrible slanders about the Protocols, and the fictions of the Bank of Rome conspiracies (not the real banking scandals, which are bad enough when any of those are revealed). The Anti-Defamation League will confirm, if asked, that any Christian holy day sees a rise in attacks and threats, and historically these are themed to suit the Saint or motif of the festival.

This mindless "drunken vandalism" is driven by ill-defined religious bigotry at the very least (if the lawyers are good).

Um, joanne, I never thought you were "measuring the Christian calendar by" your expectations. I'm quite well aware that you are in Australia, and Jewish. I just thought, as a 20 year Maplewood resident and MOL participant since 2000 (maybe 2001), so not entirely unfamiliar with your posting history, that you might find it interesting that in the US, since 99.5% of Christians are not Orthodox, we generally think of Lent as starting on Ash Wednesday, 3/1. I apologize if this offended you somehow - I was not questioning your religious literacy.

More interesting is the info on Facebook SOMA Lounge about swastikas found today painted on the pedestrian/animal bridge over SOA through the reservation. There seems to be some organizing of a candle lit march tonight, but please check FaceBook for details, they were hard to discern.

^^^ The antisemitic graffiti in the South Mountain Reservation was shown on the 6:00 pm news on CBS.