In yet another alleged ‘anti-Semitic hate crime’; a badly spray-painted swastika in white turned up on the main sign at the Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati in 2017 and has ‘never been solved.’
I quote the ‘Jewish Daily Forward’ for the details:
‘Police are investigating a swastika that was discovered Tuesday morning scrawled at the entrance to Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati, one of the foundational institutions of Reform Judaism.
“I think the placing of a swastika on a street sign, when we compare the events going on around the world, makes our little sign quite a minor nuisance rather than comparing it to events that have gone on all around our country and certainly around the world,” said associate dean Ken Kanter, discussing the incident with local radio station WVXU.
Staff at the college reported the incident to the Cincinnati Police, which arrived on the campus, erased the swastika from the sign and launched an investigation into the matter. Authorities are said to be reviewing surveillance video for evidence.
Hebrew Union College has several campuses scattered throughout the United States and Israel, but the Cincinnati plant is where the institution was first launched in 1875, by Reform Judaism founder Isaac Mayer Wise. It was home to pivotal events in the movement’s history, including the Trefa Banquet, in which non-kosher food was served at a graduation ceremony and triggered a fierce debate among rabbis.’ (1)
Now having looked at the local situation via Google Maps; I note two things about this alleged ‘anti-Semitic hate crime’.
In the first instance; the sign concerned was right next to a main road and thus quickly accessible for a would-be attacker. In addition, the buildings of the Hebrew Union College are sited at a significant distance from the sign, which renders it unlikely the security camera footage being combed through rendered any conclusive evidence one way or the other.
In the second; the swastika is very poorly drawn in cheap white spray paint.
What this suggests is that it isn’t that likely to be an ‘evil anti-Semite’ that spray-painted the swastika on the Hebrew Union College’s sign, because there is little political message in a quickly and badly drawn swastika.
Also one wonders how the ‘evil anti-Semite’ knew the layout of the Hebrew Union College so well as knowing which entrance would be best to use for their evil deed.
It just doesn’t really seem kosher: does it?
Therefore isn’t it more likely that what we are dealing with here is a student or faculty member of the Hebrew Union College trying to, as they say, ‘raise public awareness of increasing anti-Semitism in the United States’.
We’ll see, but as I predicted back in 2017, we’ve seen no arrests and this alleged ‘anti-Semitic hate crime’ will go probably go ‘unsolved’ for all eternity.
References
(1) http://forward.com/news/358958/hebrew-union-college-in-cincinnati-hit-with-swastika-graffiti/