Vandals Targeting Philly Jewish Community Being Sought By Police
PHILADELPHIA (CBS)-- Philadelphia police are investigating an act of vandalism at a Jewish religious building in Somerton over the weekend.
This building is currently under construction inside of a strip mall at 11000 Rennard Street, with about a dozen other businesses. It was the only one defaced with illegible graffiti.
The building is called a "mikvah," which is used for ritual baths and is separate from Congregation Beth Solomon's synagogue.
Congregation Vice President Aleksander Tamarkin said this act is just the latest in a string of seven concerning incidents that have happened on this property since mid-November.
Just two days ago, someone broke 16 cameras in the parking lot of the mikvah.
This is the second time this month that vandals have targeted Jewish religious buildings in Northeast Philadelphia.
Synagogue President Believes Recent Acts Of Vandalism Were Hate Crimes
On January 6th, someone threw rocks through six windows at Temple Menorah Keneseth Chai in Tacony. It happened just before evening services were set to start.
On December 2nd, someone also threw a rock into the temple, just barely missing a person inside.
At this point, investigators do not know if these incidents between the two congregations are related. There have been no arrests in any of these cases.
