A menorah in a Jackson Heights park was vandalized — sparking outrage in the Queens neighborhood that’s been rattled by repeated incidents of antisemitic graffiti, local pols and Jewish leaders said.
Rabbi Meir Pape, of the Jackson Heights Chabad, said he discovered the large menorah’s center support beam covered in spray foam Saturday, the day before the public Hanukkah lighting ceremony in Travers Park.
“It looked disgusting,” Pape recalled Tuesday.
The menorah could still operate, but Pape blasted the apparent hateful vandalism as “more of a statement.”
“The menorah is a Jewish symbol, and whoever sprayed it was targeting the Jewish symbol,” the rabbi said.
“It’s supposed to be beautiful. It’s a display of light, warmth and positivity. And someone just had to take away that good look from the menorah.”
A Jackson Heights beautification group scraped the foam off, and the community was still able to hold the public lighting Sunday, for the first night of the Jewish holiday, according to Pape.
“Everybody got together, and the cold weather was freezing cold, was icy, and still people came and showed support,” he said.
The NYPD said its Hate Crimes Task Force was investigating.
The neighborhood has been grappling with a string of antisemitic vandalism for the past year, according to Hiram Monserrate, Democratic Party leader for the 35th Assembly District.
“Beyond the vandalizing of the menorah we have uncovered a steady pattern of violent antisemitic messages throughout Jackson Heights via graffiti and stickers being placed at different locations including near the Jackson Heights Jewish Center, Travers Park and Paseo Park for over a year,” Monserrate said.
“How these culprits have operated freely as long as they have throughout Jackson Heights is alarming,” Monserrate, a former state senator and city councilman, said.
He shared photos of that showed swastikas drawn inside a Star of David on a neighborhood street, and graffiti that read “Heil Hitler” and “DEATH ZIONISTS.”
Pape said Jewish leaders in the area were planning to hold a second menorah lighting this coming Sunday in the face of the apparent hateful act.
“The worst thing we can do is stop the celebration,” he said. “This is not gonna get in our way from adding more more goodness and kindness and positivity.”
The NYPD did not immediately return a request for comment.
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