Posted on 12/18/2005 7:13:05 AM PST by avile
L.I. Community Outraged After Menorah Is Destroyed Holbrook Chamber Of Commerce Vows To Catch Those Responsible
Jennifer McLogan Reporting
Save It Email It Print It (CBS) HOLBROOK Many in the Long Island community of Holbrook are stunned.
In a village plaza on Main Street next to an undamaged Christmas tree and nativity scene, a Hanukkah menorah appears to have been viciously smashed.
Rick Ammirati, the president of the Holbrook Chamber of Commerce, said people are outraged. He vows to rebuild and restore it.
Suffolk County's bias crime task force responded immediately when shaken community leaders called describing painful memories of similar vandalism during past holidays.
Chuck Mendel, a Holbrook resident, says this is the second or third time something like this has happened and now he wants the culprit caught.
Det. Sgt. Robert Reecks of the Suffolk hate crimes bureau says he is definitely investigating this as a hate crime and is reaching out to the public to help.
Many in this community of mixed faiths are proud of how their religions have commingled
Marvin Kolker of Temple B'Nai described the glory and meaning of the menorah symbol to him.
"Why do they have to pick on the Jewish symbol?" Kolker said. "Hanukkah is the story of freedom and the menorah represents a miracle."
The county police say they are vigorously pursuing whoever's behind this -- adding that local citizens have begun collecting the $1,500 in donations it could cost to repair the menorah.
Is Cindy Sheehan back from Europe?
Undoubtedly a statement against the commercialization of Hannukah. [/sarc]
Why are people so stupid?
What good did smashing this menorah do?
People just need to grow up.
Both such groups are currently in thrall to anti-semitism and should not be held to be above suspicion.
Probably some Jesish guy tired of just getting Dradles for Chaunnaka.
The L.I. better check these fellers out they don't seem to bright http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1542801/posts
Holiday Candle Arrangement.
"....next to an undamaged Christmas tree and nativity scene"
Superficially, this points the finger of blame at Christians, especially Catholics. Lefty heathens or dhimmi vandals would not have spared the Christian symbols unless they were trying to misdirect blame.
It could be the real thing, but the circumstances definitely raise the possibility of a staged crime by anti-Christian elements, either Foxman-style collaborationists or local lefties.
I'm Jewish but this smacks of a manufactured incident to me.
I would not be surprised if this was done by lefties concerned that in the past few years, Jews and Christians have found more in common, when placed against the backdrop of 'Holiday Trees' and downright hostility from the secular elements of society. My guess is that this was politically motivated.
Now if Hollywood were to make a movie about this, the culprits would be a white hayseed, a member of the Klu Klux Klan. The culprit would not be a white, liberal, college student that supports the Palestinian cause or a member of the Nation of Islam .
"My guess is that this was politically motivated."
Oh, my guess is that it was some stupid skinhead freaks. I volunteer to stand guard over this display. I just love finding skinhead freaks up to their shenanigans. Very amusing.
That could be as well. There has been a lot of cr** flying about lately.
these incidents have been happening periodically on long island for many decades, at least.
the usual criminals have been young white males. in the past they have had names that were usually originally european. the perps aren't usually politically involved.
they are the types of guys that drink a lot of beer and are not going anywhere in life.
they would probably pick on any group that happened to be in the minority in their neighborhood--Jews, blacks, hispanics, Muslims.
Hmmm...I had the exact same thought. And, I am, as you know, a co-religionist of yours.
that's most likely. However, considering certain data points ( the Christmas-Happy Holidays BS, orthodox Jews finding common cause with Evangelicals, certain re-alignments from the 2004 election ), the possibility of something other should be kept in mind. Heck, just listen to two disparate points: Rabbi Lapin and Abe Foxman. One represents the observant Jewish community, the other, those who have substituted the State in place of religious faith.
We're in odd times, and folks should be careful about what is being presented ( including myself in my original post ).
Any suspects named? Democrats or slimes?
My thoughts go like this:
- US Christians wouldn't attack Jewish symbols, that is pretty much unheard of
- The kind of folks who would attack a Jewish symbol fall into two camps: Secularists and Islamists. I can't see either group attacking the Menorah before at least kicking over the nativity scene.
- Thus, the most sensible explanation is that this is the standard victim-ideology-driven faux hate incident.
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