ADL’s Southwest Region responded immediately and continues to work with victims of two separate graffiti incidents in San Antonio, targeting synagogues, homes, and cars.

 

Residents of a northwest San Antonio neighborhood surrounding Congregation Rodfei Sholom woke up August 12 to racist and anti-Semitic graffiti on cars, houses, and the campus of the synagogue.  The vandalism also included a rock being thrown through a car window, and the word “Jew” painted on the side of the car.   Several days later, staff at Congregation Agudas Achim, just a few miles away from Rodfei Sholom, found the words “Jew, Jew” painted on a shed that had two grills stolen out of it.

 

ADL reacted by calling law enforcement and synagogue representatives, and going to San Antonio twice to meet with them.   On the first trip, ADL met with San Antonio Police investigators and the department’s Chief, Athony Treviño, with FBI agents investigating the case, and with representatives of both congregations.

 

On a second trip, ADL met with Rabbi Aryeh Sheinberg of Rodfei Sholom, representatives of San Antonio’s Jewish Federation, and with Texas Senator José Menéndez, who denounced the attacks immediately and offered a reward for the capture of their perpetrators..  Most of the Senator’s staf also attended the meeting.  Senator Menéndez expressed a desire to work with ADL and learn from ADL, and ADL offered him and others in San Antonio resources, law enforcement training, and help in convening various civil rights groups, religious leaders, and others interested in preventing future such hateful acts.

 

ADL continues to monitor the situation and will offer help and support whenever possible.